Call Pay and Specialty Pay

Published

I am curious to know if anyone has to take call on their Labor and Delivery Unit and if so what kind of call pay do you get and do you get any specialty unit pay. We all know that L&D is a special unit where not just any RN can float to and work but most L&D nurses to float to any unit and take a patient load. If so how many deliveries a year does you unit do. I'm trying to compare my unit to other units to see if us nurses are getting shafted, which I'm sure we are.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Respiratory, Cardiac, ED, Maternity, Ped.

We do 120-150 deliveries a month. On call is $1.50 an hour and $5 to drive in. We all do 8 hours of on call nights a month.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L&D, PP, Nursery.

Job #1: We do approx 100 deliveries/month. Around 3.25/hr for call, required 24hrs call in 4 weeks, Job #2: 200 deliveries/month around $3.00/hr call, required 8 hrs/call in 4 weeks. Neither offer specialty pay.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't believe in specialty pay. I believe we should not be treated as moveable pieces on a game board. If they can't find a urologist do they call in an orthopod?

In a true emergency most of us could step in and help out on other units, but for day-to-day operations, we should not be moved to units that are very different from our base unit.

Many years ago I worked in an Acute Dialysis unit that cherished nurses. We received very reasonable on-call pay and were called in for true emergencies only. The docs respected us, and gave us our due.

I hope your unit runs the same way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Labor and Delivery, Newborn, Antepartum.

My unit has 30-50 deliveries a month. We don't have specialty pay. We get $1.50/hr for on call and are required to take 1-8hr call shift every 2 weeks. We don't get paid for drive time, but we do get time and a half when we are called in. Also, if we get called off, we are put on call for the full 12 hour shift. This does not count as a required call shift.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU,MB,Lact.Consultant, L/D.

25-40 deliveries a month

call is 3 12's a month. if you work an extra shift it knocks off a call

call pay is $2.50/hr time and a half if you get called in.

no specialty pay

level 1

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L&D.

350-400 births per month. No specialty pay. No being pulled to other floors - EVER. On call time is voluntary, none required. If you sign up for call, it's $2/hr for call time. If called in, you get paid time and a half, plus are paid for a minimum of 2 hours (even if they do not need you for that full 2 hours). We are rarely left home on call for scheduled shifts due to low census because we are almost always full.

Case in point - they have already called me twice to see if I could come in extra today.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L&D/postpartum.

Around 150 births/month. $8/hour to be on-call, time and a half if called in, double time if called in on a weekend. We used to have to take 2 12-hour call shifts a month, now it's usually 1/month because our staffing is a bit better.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

$8/hour for on call? Holy mackerel!

250 births/month. $2/hour for being on call, time-and-a-half of your salary if you get called in. You are required to be able to float to either the NICU or the high-risk OB/AP area, and that happens to an individual nurse maybe once every 3-4 months.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for all the helpful responses. There are a few things my unit needs to look at and reconsider. It is mandatory to take atleast 12hr of call a schedule,sometimes 16 hr depending on staffing. We get 18.00 flat for signing up for the 12-16 hrs. If you get called in you don't reach overtime til after working 4 hrs,since we work 36 hrs a week. I feel it should be time and 1/2 as soonas we hit the door. We don't don't hourly pay to be on stand by or drive time pay.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion