Downstaffing

Published

Have decided to take a break from my current job. I have been consistently put on call or reduced this past month. Ok fine. But today was what absolutely pissed me off. I came into work at 7am, discharged 2 of my four patients and at 11am they wanted to put me on call until 3pm when they would have more admits. They also wanted me to float to another campus. I explained to them that I did not have my vehicle as it was at the dealership getting work done and I received a courtesy ride to work. I was told that's too bad and I would have to figure it out or call a taxi. Let me reiterate I am not resource, float or anything. I never agreed in hiring to float between hospitals multiple times throughout the day. This is insane. Essentially asking me to clock out for a few hours but standby until their admits get there. This is the most unprofessional thing I ever heard of in what's suppose to be a professional career. What a joke. Burned out and I haven't even worked over 30 hours a week in over a month because of this sporadic work schedule!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Apparently they found an effective way to get rid of you. Sounds as if this job was not worth the aggravation. Good luck on your next job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Maybe I'm a complainer, or ungrateful or whatever. But it's disheartening. I really enjoyed my job until recently when they started plucking me around. This isn't just me but many staff nurses. Alright great if you didn't need me I would have gladly went home. Or even if they started me on call that would have been fine as well. But to have me come in, discharge half my patients and have another nurse discharge half their patients then want me to give report on my remaining patients to another nurse on the floor at 11a so that essentially they can put me on call until their surgicals were expected around 3p. I've floated so much all over the hospital that they don't even give me a free lunch card for floating anymore, lol. Not kidding, in two years I have worked on 12 different units even went and got some certifications(this is how motivated I was) only to get to my yearly eval and got a few cent raise. Just feel unappreciated and burnt out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology.

Do they rotate who they mess with or is it always you? That's insane. I've never heard of that bad of a situation

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Do they rotate who they mess with or is it always you? That's insane. I've never heard of that bad of a situation

No they rotate, however this has happened to be most shifts that I have been scheduled the past month. We got a new VP of nurses and all incentives and such were cut and now everyone is required to float except for the first 6 months. Well lucky me I'm the one that has floated so much that I am usually the lucky one that has worked or been cross trained to the unit that is short half way through the shift. They have a resource pool but the problem is that the pay is not competitive at all and you are required to float between three different hospitals in the same metro areas....miles apart and many times half way through the shift. Because of this many people don't stay because it's stressful and "too much work". It's not like three connected hospitals. Sometimes being floated to another hospital for the 3-7p portion of a 12 hour shift...many times not getting there until close to 5 because you half to give report, drive there, Park, get report on new load of patients and then late with no break because you only had two hours to assess and chart and care for 5 patients.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
No they rotate, however this has happened to be most shifts that I have been scheduled the past month. We got a new VP of nurses and all incentives and such were cut and now everyone is required to float except for the first 6 months. Well lucky me I'm the one that has floated so much that I am usually the lucky one that has worked or been cross trained to the unit that is short half way through the shift. They have a resource pool but the problem is that the pay is not competitive at all and you are required to float between three different hospitals in the same metro areas....miles apart and many times half way through the shift. Because of this many people don't stay because it's stressful and "too much work". It's not like three connected hospitals. Sometimes being floated to another hospital for the 3-7p portion of a 12 hour shift...many times not getting there until close to 5 because you half to give report, drive there, Park, get report on new load of patients and then late with no break because you only had two hours to assess and chart and care for 5 patients.

That is absolutely insane. :( I'm sorry.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My first job in south Texas was like that. They'd send nurses home on call, then call them back a few hours later and float them to an entirely different unit with all new patients. Every nurse on the new unit gave up their worst patient, of course.

I was always willing to go home, but always made it clear that I would NOT return. They threatened to write me up, fire me, etc. I didn't care and stood my ground ...so sadly, I never got sent home.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in school nurse.

They must figure that (on paper) the money saved covers the cost of inevitable patient care screw-ups that will result from this much "do-see-do" moving of caregivers.

I mean, I'm of the sort who thinks that people cry wolf at times about "I'll get sued, I'm 'scared' for my license", etc., but this system sounds like a royal recipe for disaster...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
They must figure that (on paper) the money saved covers the cost of inevitable patient care screw-ups that will result from this much "do-see-do" moving of caregivers.

I mean, I'm of the sort who thinks that people cry wolf at times about "I'll get sued, I'm 'scared' for my license", etc., but this system sounds like a royal recipe for disaster...

Believe me, it feels out of control. All at the same time as attempted to get magnet status...oh and try to change the staffing ratios to Less patients. It will never happen because even a month of dealing with this is too much. They just keep messing with people...a good example is a nurse that just finished her 6 week orientation, was hired to work 8 hour shifts because she is a single mom and there is not a daycare available for 12 hour shifts....as soon as she got off orientation they changed her schedule to 12 hour shifts. She went to management to try to have it corrected and their response was can you're child's father quit his job and stay home so you can work your schedule. She said no at that she would be turning in her notice! Day two off orientation! Unbelievable. They have been treating us like we are to be at their beck and call and to not have a life!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That is cra cra about going to another facility! Is that how you spell it?

Cra cra, not facility. :down:

If you came in at 7, weren't you going to be there until 3 or 7 anyhow, working with your other patients and taking new admits or whatever?

Ohhh, they're sending you home on call? Is that right?

They're so desperate/resourceful yet you can't get 30 hours. That's strange. Get away from them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What a pigsty of a system you work for. Leave and don't worry if they try to trick you by bringing up 'patient abandonment'. You're better off working at Wal-Mart. Find some way to make this public somehow, start informing families and caregivers, the news, law firms, the dog, etc. It is a recipe for disaster, patient harm and/or death at some point. And just plain unprofessional...

I'd like to see one of those pigs come on here and (try) to defend that business plan. 'Cuz It sure ain't no patient-care plan.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Wow, what an unorganized cluster! Don't blame you at all for getting out. Moving staff around like that is insane. Expecting nurses to go home, come back, move to a different building for part of a shift? I've never heard of such nonsense. Taking away all incentives and only giving a few cents raise is just adding insult to that injury. If this is their standard treatment of nursing staff I am kind of amazed they have any nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion