Does your Unit take call shifts?

[caf02fsu]

Hello,

I currently work a busy L&D unit that does several hundred births per month. I have started collecting information regarding taking call when the unit is busy and would like some additional input, even if you don't work L&D but L&D nurses would be great!

So here's the question, how much call do you take per month, do you get paid while on call and how much, and if you get called-in when the unit is busy do you get regular pay or additional such as time and a half, and how does your unit go about making call assignments or signing up for call?

I also have a little extra to ask, our unit has voluntary option to pick up extra shifts, but call is not reduced based on number of hours extra picked up. Does your unit do anything special for those nurses that pick up extra time such as reduce call?

thanks everyone for all your help, I'm looking to improve nurse retention with improving our call situation.

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

On call rotates among staff where I work and we get a small amount of pay an hour (like 3.00) unless called in. If called in we get time and a half.

If a staff member wants the chance to make some extra money by being placed on call with the possibility of being called in for the time and a half, they are allowed to take on call for another employee if that employee agrees.

[ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN]

I am also in L&D. All part time employees have to take 16 hours of a call per month, in 4 hour increments. Full time employees don't take call. I usually lump them into two 8 hour blocks or a 12 and a 4 to get it out of the way. We get $5.25 and hour while on call. If we get called in we get our base rate unless it puts us over 40 hours a week, then we get time and a half. They put the call sign up sheet out once a month, a few days after the schedule is put out. They rotate which shift gets first dibs, so one month it might be put out at 7pm and night shift gets first pick. The next month it might be put out at 7am for days, or 3pm for evenings. If we don't work that day we can call in and have someone else write our name in (but you have to call in for your shift, a day shift person can't call in at 9pm if it was night shifts turn. They have to wait until dayshift the next day).

We do not get reduced call time for picking up extra shifts, but during the busy season we sometimes get offered bonus pay if we come in extra.