My job has these unit-base committees and they have been around forever. I have gone to a few meetings, but they are not really geared for a night shift worker. Now management has made them manditory that all the staff nurses have to participate. We have various reseach projects that we have to present to other units and administration.
So along with all the bedside nursing stuff, we now have to come in on our days off to work on this stuff. They pay us for our time (If we do our committee work on hospital grounds), but then they get on us about the budget. I know other hospitals do this, but do how many hospitals out there make it manitory. BTW I don't mind coming in for inservices and CE classes, but now i feel like we are bedside/ research nurses. They want us to take classes in Power Point
It feels like they are just adding on more work!!!!!!
:down: We have the same thing where I work and although it is not mandatory, they push everyone to participate. We have research commitee, magnet, perfomance improvement and many others. We- the night shift and some day shift nurses have to come to the meetings on our days off and we do not get pay and we do not get any training on how to do power point or research. I participated in the beginning, but after one health fare, I quit. I had to research and write on asthma and present/teach it at the health fare. Others presented theirs to other units. I feel it is not write, my days off should not be used attending magnet and health fare meetings and writing papers, so I quit. They made a big fuse about it, but who cares. :nono:
If you are not salary, that is illegal and you need to call the Federal Labor Board. They must pay you for time worked doing anything that benefits their facility and also any insevices or training. It's the law.
Specializes in Rehab, Neuro, Travel Nurse, Home Care.
When the committees became manditory, I was on one that was interesting. But the meetings was at 11am. If I had to work on the night of the meeting, I would ask to be off (I work 7p-7a). This was not always granted, so I wouldn't attend the meetings. Now I changed committees to one that is mostly night and evening shifters and the topic is SO BORING!!!! The good is that the meetings are later in the day. I still hate having to come to these meetings because I live a hour away from my job and the meeting are like 20 mins. It doesn't seem worth it with the gas prices. I asked if we could communicate online (IM) or e-mails. Not everyone is computer savvy, so that got shut down fast.
Now the inservices are in the day. When I go, my body is present, but I'm knocked out. Esp when they put on a video. One time I was called on to answer a question, before the inservice started I told the instructor I worked that night and I'm tired. You should have seen my face after someone tapped me and everyone looking at me. I answered the question wrong (my brain was on sleep mode) and people was looking at me like I was a horrible nurse. Looking back it was a easy question, oh well
When I go, my body is present, but I'm knocked out. Esp when they put on a video. One time I was called on to answer a question, before the inservice started I told the instructor I worked that night and I'm tired. You should have seen my face after someone tapped me and everyone looking at me. 
I answered the question wrong (my brain was on sleep mode) and people was looking at me like I was a horrible nurse. Looking back it was a easy question, oh well
withasmilelpn
582 Posts
If you are not salary, that is illegal and you need to call the Federal Labor Board. They must pay you for time worked doing anything that benefits their facility and also any insevices or training. It's the law.