Budget Cuts

I hope you LOVE your job and your organization. Healthcare is tough, and we have to do more with less all the time. I'm sure you've experienced this quite a few times in your career, as many of us have. I manage a couple units, one much smaller than the other. But I would find it very difficult (actually impossible) to manage two units in 24 hours. Let's face it, you'll be doing alot of overtime... and from your post, you won't be compensated. Why work for free? Afterall we don't work for fun.

I work in a critical access hospital as a manager of the MS and ICU. Budget time is here and although I knew some cuts may be made, they have focused the on the unit managers. We have always been paid our salary plus straight time and shift diff if you work clinically because of staffing needs. As a manager my goal is to staff adequately and not have to work clinically. However, before I would leave staff hanging, I have gone in and done nights and weekend shifts. It helped that I was compensated for this as I spent tons of time working and not with my family. Now, Admnistation is asking that I do my management job in 24 hours a week and work clinically 16 hours a week (taking the place of one of my regular nurses, not in addition to). This will all be wrapped into my salary and no additional compensation. First, impossible to manage two units in 24 hours/wk and second, I cannot believe they want me to tell regular staff that I will be working in their place and drawing my salary while they have to supplement with PTO. Curious how other managers get paid/compensated.

I too manage an ICU & M/S Telemetry unit. I can't imagine managing two units 24 hours/week and being clinical 16 hours. Managers are not included in our HPPD and we are not considered clinical. We are paid an hourly wage but we get paid for 37.5 hours regardless of the hours we work. You don't say how many beds your units are, how you are staffed and the resources you have. You don't say what you are responsible for. I have 24/7 responsibility for both units, manage personnel and budgets including capital, supplies and salaries, hiring and counseling, attend hospital wide meetings. I know with my units, I COULD NOT manage any less than 37.5!I have a very good CNO and she absolutely watches out for not only the Managers but the entire Patient Care Division.