How does your unit staff for census? Standby (on call) versus called off

[I<3H2O, BSN, RN]

At 0500 and 1700 each day, the staffing is done for the next shift. Depending on our staffing plan, we need different numbers of nurses for the number of patients. So, my question to you is, Does your facility put you "on call" or do they call you off completely? What time does your facility handle staffing for the next shift?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Since our shifts start at 0600 and 1800, people are called off at approximately 0400 and 1600 if census is low. In other words, staffing is addressed about two hours before the start of each shift. In addition, we are called off completely (cancelled shift). On-call or standby status does not exist at the facility where I work.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

You are under the assumption that we have enough staff each night to actually put someone on call

[JSBoston]

Where I work now... the place is big enough where you don't HAVE to be cancelled, you can choose to take a day off with vacation time used. There are enough nurses to float around. It all depends on number of patients, not how acutely sick or demanding they are. We can have up to 6 on the day shift. Usually PM's and NOC's are better staffed if you can believe it.

Where I used to work, there was a rotation, you didn't have a choice to be cancelled, with all 12 hr shifts you could be cancelled TWICE in a week... and it totally blew all of your vacation time.

[loriangel14, RN]

Where I work there is no on call. You rarely get cancelled. Quite often you will get floated to another area where they are short.There is almost always a need somewhere.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

We also are rarely called off, but are floated to other units, or lately have been staffed with people working doubles.

But occasionally we are low-censused and our union contract has clear language around this:

Volunteers for LC are sought first and then it rotates so that it is evenly spread. On call (except for certain specialty units) is voluntary, and one receives $3.00/hour for being on call. RNs can be mandated LC for a max of 48 hours in 6 months. We can volunteer up to 1 week ahead of time for LC. It is the RNs choice whether to use PTO or not.

We seldom get mandatory LC except for mother/baby whose census can vary greatly and they do not float outside their unit.

[Riseupandnurse]

At the hospital where I last worked, you were "on call" the first 30 minutes of the shift. Almost never got called off, this was "on call" for a shift you asked off for. I didn't like it. No pay, you had to hover over the phone, they were liable to call you in 29 minutes into the shift after all, and if you did you were bound to be floated, usually somewhere unpleasant. Then you had to drive in to the hospital and start the shift already an hour or so behind.

[Jenni811, RN]

Who the heck knows how we do it?? I'm not ever charge nurse, and charge nurse has tried showing me. She had me do the staffing plan one day...it got to be too much, and i could really care less.

Im more the type "show me where to be, who i'm with and what i need to do."

All i know is, we get on calls and it goes by who had the last date. So if my date was furthest out, i would get the choice to go on call first over someone else. we are not forced on call unless nobody else wants to take it.

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

We do our staffing after 04 and 1600, shift change is 06 and 1800. We usually put one person on call (if someone is available). We do get $7.00 an hour call pay, and we do sometimes get called in at 3am. I work in a NICU, and sometimes hell breaks loose at that time of night. If we have a lot of staff on the schedule, you might get called off, and be given the option to be on call.

[NewAggieGrad09]

You are under the assumption that we have enough staff each night to actually put someone on call

AMEN! LMAO

If this does happe, however, we are called between 5 and 5:30 am/pm, and given the option to be on-call (PRN staff or OT staff are automaticaly cancelled for that shift) for 4 hours IF they think they may need someone. If they do not need us, they call us back by 9 am/pm to let us know if we need to come in at 11 am/pm, or if we can just stay home. If they know for sure that the chosen person is not needed, they will tell them so at the first call. I have only been cancelled once in the summer of 2010. I calso ame to work sick one day (I laid back down hoping a nap would help, but woke up too late to call out sick), and the census was low. I only had one patient, so they begged me to just go home because they would end up sending me home most likely anyway due to low census.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

From what I understand ours are done by the same time. 0500 and 1700 and if we have an extra person (which we have had a lot lately with census low) they will have the option to float to another unit or be put on call. There is a log for who floats and who goes on call to keep things fair. Very rarely will someone be called off. When winter comes we will be very understaffed.

[belgarion]

No matter how low the census is we don't get called off. This can make for some really long, boring shifts but at least we aren't forced to burn up all of our PTO. We do have the option of calling and if the census is low taking a low census day (or night) as long as someone doesn't beat us to it.

This usually isn't an issue except in the summer months. I can't ever remember a time in the flu / pneumonia season when we are so low that we don't need every hand on deck and then some.