How often are you called off?

[sistrmoon]

I was just called off for over staffing for the first time in 6 years at my current hospital. Typically they bring everyone in and float someone but I guess there were no other needs. Not complaining! I was glad but didn't know what to do with myself. Just curious how often others get called off.

[sbostonRN]

I've only been called off once in 6 months and it was for a shift I had picked up. Usually nurses can call the staffing office and be asked to be placed on the "first off" list. So while nurses get cancelled a lot, it's usually the nurses who want to be cancelled.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Absolutely never. In my 6 years as a nurse I've gotten a day off once because I wasn't needed. And that was me begging to be sent home because I was exhausted and bored with my one patient assignment. Since downstaffing is so few and far between it goes by seniority, starting at the top. People are lined up pleading to get some time off.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Way too often. We just had the strangest winter in PICU history. Almost no RSV cases (our 'bread and butter' in the fall/ winter). I have not drawn a full check since November. I'm ok because I have no debt, another job and a gainfully employed husband - so I will volunteer to take a low census day so some of our single nurses can work.

That's weird because in our BMTU we had several very bad RSV cases, which we maybe get one a year.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Way too often. We just had the strangest winter in PICU history. Almost no RSV cases (our 'bread and butter' in the fall/ winter). I have not drawn a full check since November. I'm ok because I have no debt, another job and a gainfully employed husband - so I will volunteer to take a low census day so some of our single nurses can work.

That's strange... RSV was in full force in New England. Several of my oncology patients had it as did at least one former preemie.

[CABG patch kid, BSN, RN]

When I worked strictly ICU/CCU I was getting called off 1-2 times a month. Our unit census was extremely variable. Then I went to float pool and got called off once in 16 months haha.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

With my main job, almost never.

With my agency work, I'm cancelled about a third of the time. But it seems to be cyclic: I'll have weeks go by where I'm never cancelled and even hounded to pick up extra, then there'll be weeks where I'm called off every other shift.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I became salaried in December, so now my shifts never get cancelled because I am paid for 40 hours weekly whether I am there or not. Prior to this, I was a PRN nurse with full time hours who dealt with shift cancellations at least a couple of times per month.

[prettymica, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN, APRN, NP]

Never! We are so short staffed it just doesn't happen unless you are friends with someone.

[anon456, BSN, RN]

It is usually the case that I get a text 2-3 days a week asking for extra help. I have no problems picking up extra shifts. I have never once been called off.

[weirdscience]

Maybe 4-5x in just over a year. Mostly in summer also.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

My floor is either feast or famine. One week they are calling off three nurses a shift the next week they are begging for nurses to come in. I have been called off three times last month. I work in PP by the way.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Almost never