Retention and policies for on call type staffing

[505rn]

First the background info:I am an RN who recently made a job change- I work in nursing continuing education rather than in the hospital, where I worked on an inpatient geri psych unit.

The problem: I want to work some shifts on my old unit (when I need to or can). I want to "keep my hand in", and I miss my peers & the patients (but was getting tired of short staffing etc). The facility where I worked will not allow nurses to remain "on call" to be called in times of need or to call and ask to work when can...I would have to sign a contract agreeing to work 48 hours every three months (Oct-Nov-Dec etc) and this is the smallest amount of time committment available AND work for less than I made before! I called the Chief Nursing Executive to confirm this-its true. I attempted to point out that since staffing is so critical (VERY, just like everywhere else), maybe that policy should be amended to offer an option that gives more freedom for people like me who work full-time elsewhere and have kids etc and can't make that kind of committment. I understand that this offers them some kind of a guarantee BUT I feel that many people will not sign the contract at all-thus not filling in at all- and will go work for an agency for better wages. Then the hospital pays agency staff(who are not as/not at all familiar with our facilities)beaucoup bucks to fill in...Is it just me or is this actually almost a deterrent to helping out/"filling in" when people can???? Any opinions or suggestions about why this might be the case or how I might go about trying to get this policy changed??? I have a call out to my state Nursing Association Workplace Advocate... Thanks in advance, Christina

[PINKYE1]

I've heard of that before. It's totally unfair and ties up your time. Additionally they're saving themselves money by paying you less. I'd go with an agency so you can set your own term and probably get paid more. You shouldn't have to commit if you choose not to. That's crappy. I'm a psych RN at a State prison in so. cali., full-time.