As a new grad, expect to stay late?

kstec, LPN · Jul 27, 2008

Well I have found that on a very rare occasion I get out on time. Most of the time it's anywhere from 1 to 3 hours late. I work at a rehab facility and was just supposed to cover from 6pm to 10:30pm I got out of there at 12:30am. Once I got off orientation I think the earliest I've gotten off is 1 hour past my shift. Of course, these long hours include no breaks and no lunch. I try my hardest but for some reason just can't seem to get them. But then I watch other nurses who are ready with purse in hand at shift change ready to go. I wouldn't say I'm unorganized, just very thorough and anal and will not sign something I did not do no matter how late I have to stay to get it done. I know a lot that do sign because when I go to get something it's nowhere to be found, but somehow it was just done the shift before. Things that make you go "um?"

beachbum3 · Jul 27, 2008

Well I have found that on a very rare occasion I get out on time. Most of the time it's anywhere from 1 to 3 hours late. I work at a rehab facility and was just supposed to cover from 6pm to 10:30pm I got out of there at 12:30am. Once I got off orientation I think the earliest I've gotten off is 1 hour past my shift. Of course, these long hours include no breaks and no lunch. I try my hardest but for some reason just can't seem to get them. But then I watch other nurses who are ready with purse in hand at shift change ready to go. I wouldn't say I'm unorganized, just very thorough and anal and will not sign something I did not do no matter how late I have to stay to get it done. I know a lot that do sign because when I go to get something it's nowhere to be found, but somehow it was just done the shift before. Things that make you go "um?"

Thanks for the reply!

Another question: do you get paid for the hours you stay over?

vamedic4, EMT-P · Jul 27, 2008

If you're finishing up your own stuff, then yes. Charting, completing care for your patients...all fall under your "responsibilities", and regardless of how late you stay to complete your work, you should be paid. You are at my facility at least. Some places don't ...so be careful about that. They just "expect" you to do 12 hours worth of work in 8 hours and stay over to finish while not getting paid. Be wary of such places because they do exist.

Bottom line, if you stay, you should be paid for your time. Accept nothing less.

jjnRN · Jul 27, 2008

Although facilities expect work from you and not pay you for it or not give you lunch and breaks is actually against the law for hourly paid employees. It is the responsibility of every company to provide this for hourly employees and if you don't know this they will take advantage of it. Of course if you don't play by their rules they may do whatever it takes to get rid of you as well.

RN1989 · Jul 27, 2008

Facilities frown on orientees being late. I would hope that your preceptor is skilled enough to know what to delegate to you and what to help you with so that you don't peeve the manager right off the bat.

ilstu99 · Jul 27, 2008

Maybe a dumb question here:
I start my first RN job on Monday and am wondering, is it to be expected that I'll get off on time or will staying over be a fairly frequent occurrence (not to cover for someone, but to finish up my own stuff)? Also if/when one stays over, it is paid time, isn't it?

I don't know how every facility works, but if you worked at mine.....

As a new grad on orientation, your preceptor should be getting you out the door on time. When you come off orientation, there will likely be a window of time where it's more "acceptable" for you stay over, but don't expect it to last for long. You are not SuperNurse, and learning very early how to manage your time wisely (by prioritizing, and understanding that you cannot do everything you really want to do) will always help you. Do the absolutely necessary things first, chart instead of chat, and end the day with the "luxury" things for your patients....if you have the time.

I've been at this a little while now, and have only had to stay over when a patient was trying REALLY hard to die on me, or we had an emergency admit and another RN who called off....waiting for call to come in. Even then, I had to get my NM's approval for the OT hours....even though it STILL didn't put me over 40. My contract says 36, and anything over that requires approval.

It's something that would certainly be wise to ask about during orientation. I hope Monday is a GREAT day for you!

uscstu4lfe · Jul 27, 2008

i would not stay late as a new grad (this is/looks like a red flag to management). your preceptor should be getting you out on time. of course staying a few minutes past your shift is ok, just don't overdo it.

i was always told that new grads are easily replaced, and if new grads are chasing overtime pay as a new grad, then they'll let you go and hire someone else.

again, i'd REALLY aim for getting out on time as a new grad.

kstec, LPN · Jul 27, 2008

For the one's that think that I get paid overtime for my extra hours over my 8, I don't. I get straight time, because I'm prn. My facility doesn't pay overtime until you get to 40 hours a week. I'm sure that hospitals are an entirely different entity when it comes to getting out on time. I work LTC/rehab. When you have 28 residents on the LTC side, you don't get out on time, between falls, incident reports, new admissions, behaviors, tubefeeders, wound care, diabetics and the biggie Medicare charting. Then you have the rehab part which is almost like a stepdown ortho unit. The patients are alert and demanding. You only have 12 patients instead of 28. If I have time to chart during my shift, great, but if my residents/patients needs something or a coworker is working a double and is dying to go home, I'll help them out. Also, I like to round on my people at the end of the shift, whatever isn't done, I do, because of course my CNA's are long gone, without a goodbye. I would hate to think that my employers frown on me getting out late all the time, because it's definitely not for the overtime. I would love to be able to go home on time, but for some reason if my morning to do list isn't complete and my residents/patients are completely taken care of, I'm not leaving what I didn't get done for the next shift. Maybe 1 or 2 small things, but that's it. I call it being a team player and working my A$$ off, not something that management would frown upon. Speed does not equal accuracy and excellent quality of care. To those that can do, I'm glad, but for me, I can't. If someone were to say something in regards to me staying late, first I would show them what I have left to do on my own shift and then show them what was left from the last 1 to 2 previous shift. They would then not say a word, knowing not everyone is as OCD about getting their work done. I know this equals burnout, but I am prn, so a long day 2 days a week or maybe 3 days isn't going to kill me. Then I may get a week off. It's feast or famine.

AprilRNhere · Jul 27, 2008

I just hit my 1 year mark- and RARELY have I stayed late. Maybe once a pay period 15 minutes or so- but neer 1-3 hours unless I was helping cover the next shift.

I want to ditto what everyone else said- it's pretty much frowned upon to stay late and accrue overtime- and as a new grad you can't afford to be seen in that light. Work hard and work fast- be honest and ask for help when you're drowning.

medsurgrnco, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2008

Agree with what others have said, your preceptor should work with you to get out on time. When you are off orientation, you may have OT due to time management and prioritization problems, stuff left over from the prior shift nurses who leave on time, and finishing your work. While many companies will pay for OT, management does not like it. They will make your job harder due to wanting you to keep patients/families happy, hourly rounding, computer documentation, computerized MARS, etc -- but they expect you to magically be able to do extra work within your defined work period.

Megsd, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2008

I've been off orientation for about two months now and I tend to clock out 10-15 minutes late most days. I've had to stay 30 minutes late twice, due to some issues that popped up right at shift change that I didn't want to stick night shift with.

I get paid for my time I stay and only go into OT over 40 hours a week. The only time I've gotten OT was from picking up extra, not from staying late.