How do you get call covered when someone is ill?

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Suppose someone is on "A" call (3pm-11pm) but at 5 am they call in sick. Their regular shift is from 6:30 am to 3 pm so normally if they are needed they simple stay at work until no longer needed or until 11 pm. How should we handle call coverage when someone calls in sick? Call has to be covered and is frequently used. The problem is how do we get it covered. If we ask for volunteers and everyone says no - then what? You can't tell a staff member that we put everyone's name in a bowl and you got picked so you aren't allowed to leave. How would your facility handle this and get the call covered?

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

There should be a pre-arranged plan for coverage. If the scheduled on-call is sick, then the next designated nurse is the fill-in. Usually, sups, unit managers and ADONs are part of the rotation. Typically, as a last resort, the DON must come in.

Sometimes, a negotiation occurs between on-call candidates (eg, I'll cover this assignment, if you cover my next normally scheduled one, etc.).

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Callout? First step, if early enough, mass email for anyone to volunteer for shift. Second, the calls go out to nurses at home. Anyone willing to work today? Third step, call staffing office and see if they have a flex nurse available. Fourth, if all else fails, call up an Assistant nurse manager and see if she will staff the shift.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

we have a self-scheduling unit that assigns a "Star day" to each person. Basically, you are on call and will be the first to be called. We do pay on-call pay. This is a speciality area and not everyone can work there, so it is a way of having a back-up.

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Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.

I used to work in a specialty unit with call. We took call 4 hours before and 4 hours after a shift. If you called in sick, they would just try to cover it. Ask around, make calls, etc. We didn't have secondary call.

I'm curious, those of you that take call, how much do you make for the call hours? We got $2/hr, and nothing extra when you got called in, just regularly hourly wage.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

QUOTE>>> You can't tell a staff member that we put everyone's name in a bowl and you got picked so you aren't allowed to leave>>>QUOTE Tell that to my admin-if they have to mandate a nurse into the next shift and don't get a volunteer that is exactly how it's done. Supposedly they sometimes leave out the names of the staff who tend to work a lot of OT. Sounds really fair,doesn't it?

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

We get time and a half for being called in.

If someone calls in sick, I start calling around like a mad person! If we can't get anyone in, then we close the floor to admits and try to see if we can move some people off the floor so the staffing stays safe.

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Specializes in Pedi.

We didn't have "on-call" nurses when I worked in the hospital. If someone- or multiple people- called in, charge nurses would start calling anyone and everyone to get the shift covered. If no one agreed to come in and there were no pool nurses or floats from other units available, we worked short staffed and ran our backsides off all day.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

We got $100 for the weekend at my prior job.

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