Does anyone know of any nurses who were fired because they did too much overtime?

caliotter3 · Jul 19, 2017

The employer wants the nurses to stay over on the employee dime and make no complaints to the Labor Board.

bellamia1015 · Jul 19, 2017

No, I have never heard of anyone ever being fired for too much overtime. I have also never fired anyone as a manager for having too much overtime. But I have given corrective actions to nurses not getting approval for overtime and have also flexed schedules. Now someone may be fired for having overtime and not actually working, but that is stealing time.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 20, 2017

Yes, and it was usually filed under the excuse of "poor time management skills."

It's a Catch-22. Stay over on the clock and they have to pay OT, which they don't like. Stay over off the clock and they violate labor laws, which they don't like.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2017

Get pre-approval. Is that what your boss requires?

If they don't approve it, just alter your work habits so you have time to do the charting that will cover you in case of trouble. You have to protect

yourself. Do all that is required of you, just don't do work that someone else can do. If the pt has to wait, it's not your fault. Emergencies are, of

course, the exception to this. Don't let a pt be harmed ever, if you can prevent that.

That's what I learned to do - cover your fanny. If it meant someone else had to get the pt a blanket, so be it.

Our techs would always hide out as soon as their relief arrived. They conveniently forgot that their shift ended 30 minutes later, not the moment

their relief appeared. I refused to do their late Rounds (other nurses did, which made it hard for me not to, but I stood my ground. Why should I

do their work?) or answer lights that last half hour because I had to count, give Report, do my end-of-shift Round, finish charting, etc.

I figured they could damn well answer lights and make their own last Round, not go into the locker room or stand by the clockout clock for 1/2 hour.

Do not work off the clock. If you get hurt or make an error, Worker's Comp and the employer's coverage might not cover you.

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Jul 21, 2017

If everybody is staying late, then it's possible that you're being asked to do too much. Ask yourself if literally no one ever leaves on time.

However, I often find that people that stay late aren't managing their time well. A lot of employers mandate point of care documentation (bedside charting) to ensure good time management. If you choose to chart at the desk, then you are violating policy and can be fired.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Jul 24, 2017

If it is considered unapproved OT, then yes...I can see how it can happen but I've never seen this happen.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Jul 28, 2017

Yes, and it was usually filed under the excuse of "poor time management skills."

That's how my term in Nursing Home Hell ended.

Working excessive overtime can also be a sign that a nurse is diverting narcotics.

pumpkinspice · Jul 28, 2017

How would this be a sign of diverting narcotics? Please elaborate, I don't understand.

Emergent, RN · Jul 28, 2017

Staying over to do charting isn't a sign of diverting narcotics. Picking up a lot of extra shifts is sometimes associated with diversion. People who get their fix at work want to be at work.

BedsideNurse · Aug 2, 2017

(Glad you survived your term in Hell. :) I probably wouldn't have survived. lol).

That's how my term in Nursing Home Hell ended.
Working excessive overtime can also be a sign that a nurse is diverting narcotics.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Aug 3, 2017

Staying over to do charting isn't a sign of diverting narcotics. Picking up a lot of extra shifts is sometimes associated with diversion. People who get their fix at work want to be at work.

Sad, but I have to agree with this statement. Most if not all of the nurses I've seen diverting (and yes, we finally got proof) were ones that signed up for excessive OT.