Sent home after 4 hours...AGAIN!!!!

Specialties Agency

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:confused: I know this happens to all agency nurses sometimes, but this is begining to hurt in the pocketbook!!! I was cancelled 3 out of 4 days last week, but was allowed to come in this morning. Feeling more optimistic, I drove the hour to the hospital where I have been pre-booked for a couple of months. I got there, went to my floor and started my day. I worked until 9:00, when the charge nurse said, "I'm sorry, we are overstaffed, you'll be going home at 11:00". I was carrying 6 patients just like the other nurses and no one else was coming in at that time. The hitch was that they have hired 6 new nurses, most of which are on orientation right now. The teams of regular staff/orientees took one or two of my patients and home I went. I am really discouraged! I am a good nurse, and they like me there. They always ask me to pre-book and come back. I really don't think it is about me, but I still am stuck with 4 hours of pay instead of 12. I couldn't take a 3-11 shift anywhere else this evening because I am supposed to work 7a-7p tomorrow again. Probably just more cancelations and early send home! I just wanted to know if this is at all common in other areas, or just Houston? Thanks for listening!!

Becky:sniff:

I have found that having two to three agencies works out best. Surprisingly enough I have not found much conflict and at orientation with the first one the agency head said that she knew we would be working for other agencies as well. If I get cancelled with one I call the others and usually someone has a late call.

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Originally posted by Nurse Hag

I know how you feel. I was pre-booked for 48 hours this week and got cancelled for all of them. It really sucks when they wait until 2 hours before to cancel and you have turned down another shift because the times would conflict. So from now on I am taking the other shift and cancelling on them or forcing them to confirm my shift so I at least get 1 shift either place

Me too!! I am feeling just a little cranky at the moment, because tonight was supposed to be night 4 - prebooked in ED (just what I like - yay!!) but guess what? EVERY SINGLE SHIFT WAS CANCELLED!!! They booked me just in case they needed me, then cancelled me at 20:30 (just over 2 hrs before my shift was due to start, so they don't have to pay me a cancellation fee). The first night - Wednesday - I managed to pick up another shift, but 20:30 is a little late to get a night duty.

I'm a single mum, and the kids are at their dads at the moment, so I was booking myself for every available shift so I could have some of the school holidays off when they come to me. Guess where I won't be working from now on??!! And someone who works at that particular hospital has told me previously how much trouble they have getting agency staff to work there - WONDER WHY???

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Hang in there where ya can. I hear ya. In Denver, overbooking is the norm at many facilities. The area is SO census geared.

I too have called another agency after cancellation and do get used for late call from time to time.

Diversity is the key.

Durings slow times, check with your agencies to see if there are short term travel contracts available if you are able to commit. You mentioned block booking and that is one of my favorites too.

Good luck to you and let us know how we can help.

B.

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I'm confused....if the facility cancels , you don't get paid? Every agency our hospital uses gets paid whether their nurses work or not, so if an agency nurse is scheduled and census is down, a staff nurse stays home...

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Originally posted by cotjockey

I'm confused....if the facility cancels , you don't get paid? Every agency our hospital uses gets paid whether their nurses work or not, so if an agency nurse is scheduled and census is down, a staff nurse stays home...

Boy, if I could find an agency like that, I'd change over in a heartbeat.....

Standard arrangement is, if they cancel you less that 2 hrs before the start of a shift, they have to pay you for 2 hrs. Once you are there, they can send you home at any time & either pay you for 2 hrs or the time you have been there, whichever is longer. BUT if the hospital cancels more than 2 hrs before the start of a shift, the agency nurse gets....you guessed it, NOTHING!!!:(

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NURSES WHERE I WORK HAVE TO LEAVE AFTER FOUR HOURS. SOME ARE FLOATED TO DIFFERENT UNITS EVERY 4 HOURS WHEN THE SENSUS IS DOWN.

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NURSES WHERE I WORK HAVE TO LEAVE AFTER FOUR HOURS. SOME ARE FLOATED TO DIFFERENT UNITS EVERY 4 HOURS WHEN THE SENSUS IS DOWN.

I HAVE NOTICED AN INTENSE INCREASE IN THE CENSUS. IT WAS 18/55 AND NOW ITS RAPIDLY CREAPING BACK UP. DURING THE SEASON IT WAS UNUSUALLY LOW.

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OZnurse

its true they do get paid four whatever hours that they work and they also get paid for 4 extra hours for having to leave early.

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Specializes in Home Health.

I hear ya MRed!! Those places that welcome you with open arms and think the "Angel of Mercy" just walked in the door are great!! They really boost your ego and seem to make all the bad experiences go away!!

I still occasionally get distant comments like "Maybe I should go Agency" ...but those people still work their hum drum schedules and complain about being "on call".

It's so nice to make your own schedule.

Life is GOOD!!!

PS. Working for a GREAT AGENCY really helps!! This one I'm at now is the third and last!!

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Originally posted by Shiraz

.

Life is GOOD!!!

:nurse: :nurse: :nurse:

We need a little cheerleader happy face! Life is good! I like that!

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Grrr---hate the 4 hour deal---esp. when I sign up to work when my family is home and all that 4 hour stint does for me is take me away from the family in the evening instead of giving me a nice 12 hour $hift. The worst scenario that really gets me boiling is when the hospital calls the agency and says that they are begging for help, that they are desparate---so I go in ONLY to be told at 2100 that they are cancelling me at 2300. Guess what that does to my future decision making about those "begging for help" phone calls....not just NO but he#@ NO!

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:chuckle :chuckle :roll :roll

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