I know there's little we can do about this, and we're expected to just 'suck it up' but how do you all feel about your cancel / on call / being sent home early policy?
We recently got a new NM and since she started a few months ago, a lot of new nurses have been hired (all from her previous hospital wouldn't you know)...this has resulted in there being too many nurses on our floor now.
Also, the new NM has decided we can cope with our ratios being increased, we've gone from 5:1 to 6:1 (which in real terms means we often get hiked up to 7:1)
End result is, she has trimmed down the number of nurses needed per shift, so someone is cancelled every day, and we are getting put on call much more often. Also, whenever a nurse or two gets any discharges, someone gets sent home and the remainder of their patients given to whoever is staying (hence the hiking up of the ratio)
Some of us "old-timers" on our floor feel this new NM is gradually bringing in her buddies from her previous hospital and to heck with those of us who are losing working hours and pay EVERY pay period.
I made a comment at one of our staff meetings about how some nurses are bound to struggle financially as not everyone can afford to keep losing pay. The response?......"It's not about what YOU can afford, it's what WE can afford"
Yes, I understand it's a business and they have to balance the books, but what's the deal with keep hiring nurses when there's not enough shifts to go round already?
We are 15 nurses short in our ICU and they still send people home not needed or try to get you to take a vacation day or day off without pay on Sunday and then ask you to work over on Thursday. I've been cutting back because I'm burned out but if I get up at 5 AM on Sunday, I damn well want to work my scheduled shift and not 3 hours and go home not needed and no pay!
If I was full-time, they couldn't send me home unless I wanted to go. But I'm only part-time, soon to be no-time!
whipping girl in 07, RN
697 Posts
We are 15 nurses short in our ICU and they still send people home not needed or try to get you to take a vacation day or day off without pay on Sunday and then ask you to work over on Thursday. I've been cutting back because I'm burned out but if I get up at 5 AM on Sunday, I damn well want to work my scheduled shift and not 3 hours and go home not needed and no pay!
If I was full-time, they couldn't send me home unless I wanted to go. But I'm only part-time, soon to be no-time!