can a nurse manager cancel your shift?

[Ms.RN]

Today I was scheduled to work but a nurse manager called me and told me she's going to have a pool nurse work tonight. If I work today then its going to be my fourth day ill be working this week. But I still think its not fair to cancel my shift. Can she do that? and is it rude to ask her why she cancelled my shift?

[Sun0408, ASN, RN]

Yes she can and they will to prevent paying you overtime.. $$$ is the bottom line.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

In most places, they can cancel your whole job and fire you at will, and need no good reason to do so.

If this shift puts you on overtime, it may be seen as fiscally prudent.

[Sun_danc3rRN]

Our nurse managers cancel us all of the time when census is low, or we are going to go in to overtime. At my facility our DON now has us text her blackberry to let her know if our next shift is OT, and usually we get a call at 5pm (I work nights)that we are either canceled for that OT shift, or put on call if the census is high and the ER is busy. Now if you had only worked 2 out of 3 shifts and they canceled you to let a pool nurse work I would probably ask why, because there might be some confusion if you were about to go on OT or not.

[juliaann]

Even if we don't have our three shifts for the week yet we sometimes get canceled if the patient census is low enough to not need all the scheduled staff members.

[Orange Tree]

Yes, and my employer often looks for a way to replace any nurse in overtime. I rarely go in when I get a last minute call begging me to work, because I know I'm likely to get cancelled later in the week if I do. The sudden schedule changes are disruptive, and in the end, there's no reward (overtime pay).

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Without a union, they can do what they want. If they have pool contracted than they can cancel you to save money or to cut overtime unless a union contracts states otherwise.

I don't understand why so many nurses find a union bad and see it as a stumbling block, especially hospital and nursing home nurses who are powerless without a union. I'm sorry but Shared Governance does not take the place of a union. I suppose it's better than nothing and gives some say, but generally speaking money takes precedence and management can change the staffing grid at anytime, work you short, force mandatory overtime and cut your benefits etc without any real say from the workers. At least with a union you have more control over your working conditions, although it still is a struggle, although the stronger the union you have and especially if it is common throughout the state the better working conditions you'll have.

[MomRN0913]

Of course they can, they are your boss. Your NM has a budget and if he/she can prevent OT, they sure as hell will, because your NM boss will give it to your NM if she could have used a float instead of OT.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I think Shared Governance is meant to get employees engaged and give them the illusion of power and control over their work, but whenever anything costs money or conflicts with the profit incentive your ideas etc will be denied.

It is unfortunate that the business community is so hostile to unions and would rather let a strike occur than compromise! I've heard it doesn't cost them as much as you would think because they have strike insurance. We just recently heard of the death by a strike nurse who was only 23 and placed tube eeding into a PICC line. How much experience could she have had at 23 and to be a travel nurse with no real orientation or experience.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I am correct about overtime, right?

If you are on overtime, then expect to be first in line to get cancelled. It is the same way at my hospital.

It is fair if the nurse manager isn't singling you out and everyone who is working overtime gets cancelled first.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Today I was scheduled to work but a nurse manager called me and told me she's going to have a pool nurse work tonight. If I work today then its going to be my fourth day ill be working this week. But I still think its not fair to cancel my shift. Can she do that? and is it rude to ask her why she cancelled my shift?

Why do you think it's not fair?

In answer to your questions, of course she can, and no, it's not rude to ask why, as long as you are respectful in how you ask. If you would have been overtime in your shift, that's pretty much your answer, but feel free to knock yourself out and ask for an explanation.

[PediNurse3]

I think it's pretty common to cancel someone in overtime.