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

[Wuzzie]

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. 

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

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.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

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. 

[klone, MSN, RN]

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!

[klone, MSN, RN]

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.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

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. 

[toomuchbaloney]

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, ASN, RN]

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.

[Wuzzie]

ED call shifts are the worst. 

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Dialysis acutes is crazy from what I understand 

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

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.

[toomuchbaloney]

Overtime Mom said:

Thanks everyone. We have become a regional hub for out lying smaller hospitals and are getting acute GI Bleed and ERCP transfers. Sometimes more than one nurse can handle, therefore the backup call "just in case".  We only take call every 12th weekend now so one extra back up call would not be so bad. I think the young nurses are overreacting but I have concern more for the patients and my coworkers with these sicker patients than whining over one weekend of backup call needed to support the team. 

You have to choose your battles.  Sometimes we make trades for work that we enjoy.