Can hospitals require you to do "extra" on-call shifts?

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

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Can hospitals require you to do "extra" on-call shifts?

Can hospitals require you to do "extra" on-call shifts? We've been asked to start doing a "Back Up" call weekend in addition to the "1st Call" weekend we already do. That means twice as many on-call weekends. Some of the younger nurses are threatening to quit because they don't want to do the extra call. 

29 Answers

They can do whatever they want and whatever you let them. If you have a union this may be the time to get them involved. 

I cannot  imagine how your facility thinks they can manage staffing this way. I have worked in many facilities. As a staff nurse, I was never on call. Not on one weekend, let alone  on the next one. 

 This facility is working the staff they have like mules.  Move on.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Wuzzie said:

ED call shifts are the worst. 

I hated it when we sent people home due to low census. My philosophy was always to staff at a certain minimum and just accept it if things got "q word" for a bit. Because sending people home early always brings the pain. 

Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Lunah said:

I hated it when we sent people home due to low census. My philosophy was always to staff at a certain minimum and just accept it if things got "q word" for a bit. Because sending people home early always brings the pain. 

One of the reasons why I quit my director job after a year at a for-profit hospital (they weren't for-profit when I took the position - they were bought by a large for-profit based out of TN literally the WEEK after I started). They treated the nurses like widgets, had q4h "census calls" and would insist on sending nurses home left and right if the census dropped for an hour. HATED it. People ***ing depend on their paychecks, and making a minimum amount of hours!

Specializes in Nephrology.

Acute dialysis and on call pay. Yes pay is okay but it's not worth missing family events and losing who you are  as a person. Money isn't as important as your life, family , health and happiness Being on call is no joke. No matter back up , primary, partial call. Whatever kind of call can be OK one minute and horrific the next. I have been forced to take call because a coworker called in sick at the last minute. I have been all alone in a place where it was not safe for me or the patient's. No way to reach out for help if I needed it and been on call for 12-16, and 24 hours. I had to tell a doctor before I am going home it's not safe for me or the patient after being awake for 23 hours I have been up all night. Call my manager and discuss the emergency with him. If we don't stand up for ourselves no one else will. 

Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Been there,done that said:

 I have worked in many facilities. As a staff nurse, I was never on call. Not on one weekend, let alone  on the next one. 

Some specialties need that call that is totally unnecessary in other specialties. Generally, those with unpredictable censuses really need to have call shifts in order to function safely and remain in the black. L&D and OR are two I can think of.

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
klone said:

L&D and OR are two I can think of.

PACU, cath lab, interventional radiology, etc. Basically procedural and as you said unpredictable census. And on the flip side, those staff can be sent home early for their scheduled shifts if case load/census is low. 

OP, it looks like based on your post history you work in endoscopy, which would be one of those areas with surprises. How does the back up call work? You only get called in if the primary team is already working and there's another emergent/urgent case? I get that it can be frustrating, but it sounds like the facility may have had a concerning event with dueling mergencies and is now planning for the off chance of a repeat. If it's truly just back up call for those scenarios, it may not be as bad as expected after everyone sees how it goes. 

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
Overtime Mom said:

Can hospitals require you to do "extra" on call shifts?  We've been asked to start doing a "Back Up" call weekend in addition to the "1st Call" weekend we already do.  That means twice as many on call weekends.  Some of the younger nurses are threatening to quit because they don't want to do the extra call.

Sure they can. 

Is it mandatory with all nursing staff required to participate, including management? Leaving nursing units because you don't want mandatory on call is a reasonable option.  As others mentioned, not all nursing units need that level of coverage.  

Been there,done that said:

I cannot  imagine how your facility thinks they can manage staffing this way. I have worked in many facilities. As a staff nurse, I was never on call. Not on one weekend, let alone  on the next one. 

 This facility is working the staff they have like mules.  Move on.

Seems as if OP  works in a specialty area. I have not. I do wish them the best. Still appears administration is working them  like mules.

ED call shifts are the worst. 

Specializes in Dialysis.

Dialysis acutes is crazy from what I understand 

klone said:

Some specialties need that call that is totally unnecessary in other specialties. Generally, those with unpredictable censuses really need to have call shifts in order to function safely and remain in the black. L&D and OR are two I can think of.

Imagine if you will, a place where administration has  on call agencies to fill those needs. Overworked staff would not need to come in every weekend.  Maybe they could have a life, while the big wigs are out on the boat.

That would not happen, as agency cost  is more than flogging the nurses on staff.

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