How can they do this to us?!

Jenni811, RN · Feb 28, 2011

Um, that would make me very upset! I could see making you guys work from 8-11:30. But they CANNOT make you work past that. You didnt sign up for it. Maybe ask if you would work past that. But i would definatly bring it up....

that makes me nervous, hospitals seem to be pulling stuff like that and getting away with it.

Are you part of a union??

RN0820 · Feb 28, 2011

SAMSIES! Haha

Daliadreamer · Feb 28, 2011

I would say thank you, but I was scheduled to show up at 0800-1130 which I will gladly do, but I have other duties I need to attend to since this is technically my DAY OFF.

lckrn2pa · Feb 28, 2011

It's your day off, your scheduled for a class. They can ask you if you want to work but your not scheduled to work and that's the end of it. I've had hospitals try to pull that with me kinda..I would sign up for on-call for the ER and they would try to call me in to work ICU or Tele or some other dept. I'd politely refuse and hang up. They even called me in to work ER one time and I get there and the charge nurse (a friend) catches me at the ambo door and says house supv called me in and is going to float me upstairs to wherever. I walk down to house supv office ask what the deal is and I'm told to go to med/surg. I respond that I'm on call for the ER not for entire house and if they expect me to take call for the entire house then I expect to get the house float pool pay which is substantially higher than regular staff pay. Was told no and so I said I'm on call for ER, if they need me then I'll stay, if not I'm going home and left.

Altra, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2011

Attend your class. Do not stop in on your unit -- go directly to the class location. Dress business casual, or whatever is the norm for class time at your hospital, but not in scrubs. I've known people who even go so far as to wear completely non-floor appropriate shoes, so that they couldn't simply be "offered" OR scrubs.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2011

so there are 5 rn's from my floor scheduled for a class at work tomorrow from 8am-11:30am. we all signed ourselves up for this class voluntarily. this is actually overtime because we are scheduled our normal hours the rest of the week. well tonight at 8:30pm i get a phone call from work saying that i might be receiving a call sometime in the morning telling me i need to come in and work on the floor instead from 7am to 3:30pm. i guess if they need the help on our floor or either of our sister floors they will make us work a full shift instead of coming to this 3 1/2 hour class. i am totally furious because how can they do this??? they are not allowed to change our schedules, especially less than 12 hours before the shift starts!! also, this would be considered mandatory overtime which is not permitted at our hospital but they might do it anyways. what if i had something important or an appointment or something that afternoon?!?! this has all been thought up by our nursing director and the hospital nurse supervisor. maybe they should come out on the floor and work since they were the ones that put the schedule out with such poor staffing. any thoughts on this??

sounds like you need to say all of the above. "first of all, hospital policy states you cannot change my schedule with this short notice. secondly, you know perfectly well that it is against policy for you to force me to work overtime. third, i have an important commitment after the class which i have scheduled in advance that i am not going to miss. i'm happy to be flexible with notice, but i think you are well aware that what you are asking is not only against hospital policy, but completely unreasonable."

joanna73, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2011

I think all nurses need to put their foot down in regards to this sort of thing. It is one thing if you have agreed, but these facilities need to get their staffing sorted out. Clearly, they all require staff. So, instead of being cheap, let them hire some of these unemployed nurses who would be more than happy to work. If you are in a union, then the facility is obligated to provide a reasonable time frame prior to changing the schedule. Myself, if I don't want the extra shift, or schedule change, I have no problem politely saying no.

ladytraviler · Feb 28, 2011

I simply say no. Offer no excuses, no explaniations, or any comprimise. Just no will suffice. When you start offering these things, they will try to tell you alternatives. by just saying no, there is nothing they can say.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2011

So there are 5 RN's from my floor scheduled for a class at work tomorrow from 8am-11:30am. We all signed ourselves up for this class voluntarily. This is actually overtime because we are scheduled our normal hours the rest of the week. Well tonight at 8:30pm I get a phone call from work saying that I might be receiving a call sometime in the morning telling me I need to come in and work on the floor instead from 7am to 3:30pm. I guess if they need the help on our floor or either of our sister floors they will make us work a full shift instead of coming to this 3 1/2 hour class. I am totally furious because how can they do this??? They are not allowed to change our schedules, especially less than 12 hours before the shift starts!! Also, this would be considered mandatory overtime which is not permitted at our hospital but they might do it anyways. What if I had something important or an appointment or something that afternoon?!?! This has all been thought up by our nursing director and the hospital nurse supervisor. Maybe they should come out on the floor and work since they were the ones that put the schedule out with such poor staffing. Any thoughts on this??

It sounds like you work at a union hospital so I'm going to answer based on that assumptiom. First.....I am suprised that the class IS overtime......technically that is considered "no-productive time" and although over your scheduled hours, would not be overtime unless it is over 40 hours for the week (if you are on 40 hour workweeks and not 8 and 80) or other wise stated in your contract. NO manditory overtime is huge in union contracts (as it should be) and technically.....no they can't make you stay the whole 8 hours but they CAN pull you from the class and have you work on the floor instead.

Not changing the schedule for 12 hours prior to a shift is a REALLY long time......you better go look at your contract to double check the details before you speak. Schedule change limitations are usually shorter than 12 hours. like sick calls are mandated in 2 or 3 hours before days, 3 hours before evenings and 4 hours before nights. If that is in your contract don't complain alone!!! file a grievance and call your union rep now to file the proper paperwork now.

Technically if they don't make you work more than the class time scheduled they can make you spend that time anywhere in the facility within those hours. You need to be very careful if you have a contract and allow the union rep deal with management....ANY infringement in the contract can lead to termination and the management of hospitals are always looking for infringements to prove their point. Trust me....I have personally viewed both sides. If you are not union look at your employee handbook very carefully and then if your concerns are not taken seriously by the management then go to HR......but work the shift .......under protest.....let them know you are unhappy and will be persuing this DOn't give them a reason to disipline you.......good luck!

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 28, 2011

it's your day off, your scheduled for a class. they can ask you if you want to work but your not scheduled to work and that's the end of it. i've had hospitals try to pull that with me kinda..i would sign up for on-call for the er and they would try to call me in to work icu or tele or some other dept. i'd politely refuse and hang up. they even called me in to work er one time and i get there and the charge nurse (a friend) catches me at the ambo door and says house supv called me in and is going to float me upstairs to wherever. i walk down to house supv office ask what the deal is and i'm told to go to med/surg. i respond that i'm on call for the er not for entire house and if they expect me to take call for the entire house then i expect to get the house float pool pay which is substantially higher than regular staff pay. was told no and so i said i'm on call for er, if they need me then i'll stay, if not i'm going home and left.

i'd say it depends upon the class. is it something that your unit is sponsering and/or presenting? in that case, they can probably cancel the class and make you all work. or go by reverse seniority and make some of you work. they shouldn't be able to make you work beyond the 3.5 hours the class would have been.

if it's something that you've signed up for on your own time and are paying for yourself, i don't see how that can force you to work instead.