Scheduled overtime

PMFB-RN, RN · May 21, 2014

It is redundant to say this is a non-union hospital. That was obvious after your description of the abuse nurses are suffering there. I have never heard of either a hospital that would treat it's nurses that way, or nurses who would tolerate such behavior.

DeLana_RN, BSN, RN · May 21, 2014

Oh, yes, years ago when I was a new grad working on a med/tele-PCU with an 1:8 nurse/pt ratio our staffing at this for-profit hospital was so poor (few lasted long in that hellhole) that everyone was put on a mandatory "call" shift very other week - except you could "consider yourself called". Of course, they did not pay call pay; the basic pay rate was so poor (I would be too embarrassed to tell) that it certainly wasn't worth it; and of course we had no union.

But in this day and age? I'm shocked mandatory OT/call still exists. Run for the hills!!!

classicdame, MSN, EdD · May 21, 2014

obviously not a Texas hospital - mandatory OT is against the law in Texas. Someone needs a heart-to-heart with the CNO

applewhitern, BSN, RN · May 21, 2014

My hospital will schedule you for extra shifts on occasion. You aren't "put on call," but you are scheduled to come in and work an extra shift. Why? Because nurses weren't answering the phone when the scheduler would call to see "if and when" they could work extra. By ignoring them when they called, this made it very difficult to cover all units and all shifts. Finally they had enough of being ignored, and started making mandatory shifts for those who wouldn't help out and work extra when needed. The floor nurses complain about not having enough help, but they are the very ones who won't answer the phone and come in when needed.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 21, 2014

My hospital will schedule you for extra shifts on occasion. You aren't "put on call," but you are scheduled to come in and work an extra shift. Why? Because nurses weren't answering the phone when the scheduler would call to see "if and when" they could work extra. By ignoring them when they called, this made it very difficult to cover all units and all shifts. Finally they had enough of being ignored, and started making mandatory shifts for those who wouldn't help out and work extra when needed. The floor nurses complain about not having enough help, but they are the very ones who won't answer the phone and come in when needed.

Please don't blame nurses who don't want to work overtime for a facility's staffing problems.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · May 21, 2014

That is still mandatory OT. This is a very difficult problem with many facilities, but it generally due to insufficient staffing.An occassional call is one thing, but people like to plan their lives and feel abused if their employer yanks them around. If it is frequent, then poor planning is the problem, not recalcitrant nurses.

OCNRN63, RN · May 21, 2014

My hospital will schedule you for extra shifts on occasion. You aren't "put on call," but you are scheduled to come in and work an extra shift. Why? Because nurses weren't answering the phone when the scheduler would call to see "if and when" they could work extra. By ignoring them when they called, this made it very difficult to cover all units and all shifts. Finally they had enough of being ignored, and started making mandatory shifts for those who wouldn't help out and work extra when needed. The floor nurses complain about not having enough help, but they are the very ones who won't answer the phone and come in when needed.

Sooo...it's the nurses' fault that they wanted to have a life outside the hospital? That's like blaming a battered woman for making her husband angry. Why not put the blame on the hospital, for its abysmal treatment of its nurses and lousy staffing levels?

Dranger · May 22, 2014

My hospital will schedule you for extra shifts on occasion. You aren't "put on call," but you are scheduled to come in and work an extra shift. Why? Because nurses weren't answering the phone when the scheduler would call to see "if and when" they could work extra. By ignoring them when they called, this made it very difficult to cover all units and all shifts. Finally they had enough of being ignored, and started making mandatory shifts for those who wouldn't help out and work extra when needed. The floor nurses complain about not having enough help, but they are the very ones who won't answer the phone and come in when needed.

lol what? I get calls EVERYDAY to come work OT but I never do anymore. Why? Because after 3 days of drug abusers, AMS and ETOH patients I really don't feel like coming back for more fun.

Problems with staffing? Not my problem, go hire more nurses.

greenerpastures · Oct 17, 2014

So I thought I'd give everyone an update. It's not even "on call". Your schedule is 4 days one week and 3 days the next, but really, it's 5 days in one week (M-Su) and two the next - just that payroll is Su-Sa so for pay, it's 4/3. Yes, you get paid overtime, but you don't have the option to NOT work that 4th day. They wonder why people leave or go to other departments.

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Oct 17, 2014

If itsm12 hr shifts, either way you are over 40 hours as you are doing 84 hours in 2 weeks. It's mandatory overtime and that sucks!!

greenerpastures · Oct 17, 2014

I completely agree!