Bonus for extra shifts: what are your facilities doing for you?

PPL, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2000

Our facility pays doubletime for an extra four hours of mandatory or volunteer overtime, but people still crash and burn, no matter what the pay. Also, if you do too many, it just gets eaten up in taxes.

OC_An Khe · Dec 16, 2000

Bonuses for extra shifts work in the short term but you eventually burn out your staff. A much better use of the capital would be to improve working conditions so that there was enough staff employed. Then facility wouldn't always be scrambling for more RN's.

Oh well, hospitals always went for the short term band aid approach instead of doing something meaningful for the long term. Till they smarten up continue to take the money. By the way the incentive the original poster mentioned was an extra $12.50/hr. How does this relate to base pay... is it more or less than time and one-half. Our facility does time and one half or double time.

[This message has been edited by ocankhe (edited December 16, 2000).]

timonrn · Dec 17, 2000

I was reffering to our off week-end. Of course if you were already working the w/e and were asked to stay an extra 4/8 hours you would get time and a half the first four and dble the second PLUS the contract bonus of $25.00 for 4, $50.00 for eight for extra w/e shift. The other bonus is an INCENTIVE bonus on top of all that--so, another $50.00 per each 4 hrs worked. What I was saying was we USED to have to PRE-CONFIRM by thursday of that week for the INCENTIVE bonus, and this was where it wasn't fair for those of us who were called in at the last minute. Now anyone who works extra gets this new week-end bonus, and they are talking about extending it to the whole week, not just fri-sat-sun. And all this because we can't staff our hospital due to such a sever shortage of RN's--our contract expires in May so, heres hoping for a GOOD pay increase, among other things.

Wizard of Alz · Dec 17, 2000

At the facility I work for, they pay the nurses a $50.00 bonus to work an extra W/E shift. This isn't bad, but like someone else said, you still get burned out.

I had an interesting event about a bonus. Today at 3pm no nurse showed to relieve me on our unit . No big deal, they often are late, so I stayed calm and hoped they would get someone soon. The scheduler called at 4pm and says they have someone coming at 5pm. Again, no big deal, I didn't have plans. Well she said if you can stay till 5 I'll give you a $50.00 bonus. Not too bad huh! She said she was happy 'cause I didn't complain. That'll teach me to be patient every time.

Zee_RN, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2000

Nothing...Nothing...Nothing. No $$$. No time-off. No acknowledgement whatsoever. Wham-Bam, thank you M'am.

justanurse · Dec 28, 2000

Ours is paying a $50 bonus for a shift (either staying over 4 hours, or working an extra day), when it's deemed "critical need". On extra days, that are listed as needing help at the beginning of the schedule, if you sign up in advance, you will get 1 1/2 time for the whole shift, even if you're not into overtime. And, if you ask for it, you can get a sick day removed. That's what it is right now, who knows what it'll be in two months.

TKOLRN, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2000

There is no incentive in our unit (ER) for extra shifts..If nobody picks it up, they let us work short. I understand the floors do get an incentive though(??!!)..Considering almost 80% of the business here starts in the ER, it does not seem to be a priority to staff it properly, though I do have to admit there are not many days when shortages are not covered...

susanmary · Dec 29, 2000

No bonuses for extra shifts. If you are called in and agree to work (within 24 hours of a shift), you will get a 25% differential call-in pay. That's it.

-jt · Dec 31, 2000

Originally posted by ocankhe:
Bonuses for extra shifts work in the short term but you eventually burn out your staff. A much better use of the capital would be to improve working conditions so that there was enough staff employed. Then facility wouldn't always be scrambling for more RN's.

All staff, part time included, get time and a half for any hours worked over their usual shift. Can take it in money or in time off another day. There are state laws limiting us to no more than 16 hrs work a day so the hospital used to get shrewd when forcing the mandatory OT on us. Now we negotiated in this contract strong DISincentives making it a pain in the neck for them to use mandatory OT at all so they are staffing better, hiring more & agreed to decent raises for us, even for our per diems. Our focus wasnt on better pay for overtime. We focused on cutting the need for overtime by having more RNs. Even when overtime is voluntary, it kills you.

-jt · Dec 31, 2000

Originally And all this because we can't staff our hospital due to such a sever shortage of RN's--
How many RNs would apply to your hospital if the hospital suddenly realized what we want in our jobs, took some of that money it spends on nonsense, applied it towards giving us the workplace of our dreams & then advertized that it finally really sees the values of RNs, has developed a new respect for them, & has put its money where its mouth is???? A hospital near where I work has done that & it no longer has a staffing problem. But the hospitals surrounding it do. I wonder if they'll ever understand why.

melbanurse · Dec 31, 2000

Our facility really encourages bonus shifts. You can sign up ahead of time, or if they call you at the last minute and you go in, you can get bonus pay for that also. To me, it's not worth the headache of dealing with all the issues while at work. But, the bonus pay is $8/hr. If you are working overtime, then, this is in addition to that pay. Also, for anyone working weekends, they get an extra 25 cents/hr. If you float to another unit, there is float pay added on (I forget what it is, $1/hr I think).