Having a hard time saying 'no' to working overtime

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Specializes in CCU, Geriatrics, Critical Care, Tele.

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The word NO in this instance, needs to be in caps. Overtime, working extra shifts are a reality. Deciding to work extra though is or should be your choice. allnurses hears frequently about nurses being "mandated," "forced" or made to feel guilty if they turn down an extra shift. When you don't want to work that extra shift, what do you say? Do you make up an excuse or do you just say NO!?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I'm an exempt staff member in a lower management position who receives a set salary instead of an hourly wage, so there's no personal benefit for me to work overtime.

Although I'll receive an extra day's worth of pay for working an extra shift on the floor, I no longer receive time and a half because of my exempt status. The monetary incentive to work additional hours is no longer there, so I'd much rather stay home, sleep in, wake up and browse Allnurses.com than report to work for an extra shift.

After all, I can declare with certainty that no dying person has ever pleaded to work another shift while laying there on the deathbed.

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Therein lies the main problem with salary work: not much incentive to work more. I believe hourly pay is the way to go. My last career was a salary. No way in Hades will I go back to working 60 hours, yet getting paid for 40. :sarcastic:

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Specializes in Psych.

With my commute the unit already knows that I will only pick up 4 extra hours on days that I am already working. If they are calling me for a whole shift ( pet peeve, dont call me on Monday to work next Sunday, if there are only three scheduled instead of four that one thing, if you are trying to predict the future and guess the weekend census im not rearranging my life and finding child care for a shift that I'm probably not going to end up working because the crystal ball was wrong) my normal response is let me look at my calendar and I will mark what I can work when I get there. Usually by the time I get there others have been sucked into working. If not I do see who I am working with. If its a crew that I know works well together and it doesn't interfere with family plans and obligations, I will pick it up.

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I'm a total shift hound...

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
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I'm a total shift hound...

If I was compensated with an extremely high hourly pay rate like you currently are, I'd surely hound for extra shifts as well.

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TheCommuter said:
If I was compensated with an extremely high hourly pay rate like you currently are, I'd surely hound for extra shifts as well.

I hear you though there are surprisingly few of us who consistently seek out the OT opportunities.

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And I don't think our pay rates are extremely high... Rather, I think much of the compensation around the country is extremely low.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

I don't answer the phone on my days off. My job calls religiously in search of help for the next shift. They loooooooovvvvveeeee to get you on the schedule just so they can call to put you on call, which means your life is at a complete standstill for the shift: you can't go to work, nor can you go out because they may call you right in the middle of your doing something. And if you have to commute a distance, you can't even start dinner (night shifter here) because they might call right when the pots begin to boil. They will allow you to sign up for 60 hours per week and place you on call for 24 of those hours! Nope, I do NOT answer the phone when I'm not on the schedule. If I need an extra shift, I do it elsewhere (plan B) where they know I'm in no danger of going into overtime. That way, everybody's happy.;)

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Specializes in EDUCATION;HOMECARE;MATERNAL-CHILD; PSYCH.

Working overtime is a way of keeping nurses from achieving more in life. I always say no without blinking an eye.

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Who wouldn't want to make a lot of money :-)

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
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And I don't think our pay rates are extremely high... Rather I think much of the compensation around the country is extremely low.[/quote']

Well said! I am always shocked when these wage survays pop up on AN to find so many nurses working for $20 and hour or even LESS.

I simply wouln't do nursing work for less than about $80K/year (not counting OT). I make quite a bit more than that now but if I couldn't I would do something else. Probably go into business for myself.

P.S. I mean $80K HERE in the midwest where there is a very reasonable cost of living. Living on the coast or some place expensive and that $80K would have to go up considerably.

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