I Need to do Something...

Specialties Hospice

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

I recently took a job as an on-call/triage nurse with a local hospice. The company itself is a good and reputable one and not too bad to work for, but here is the problem: we have a system in which the on-call staff is allowed to set up their own schedules. Since I am the newest member of the team, I am getting what is left, which is basically overnight triage shifts during the week and lots of weekend hours. I was told I would only have to work 1-2 weekends a month. Also, because most of the on-call shifts are being taken by the other nurses, I am stuck doing triage a lot at under $12/hr. As an RN, I know that I could be working somewhere else and making 2-3 times that amount for the same number of hours, although I wouldn't be working from home...but triage is very stressful at times and more stressful than some of the acute inpatient or LTC jobs that I have had in the past.

Basically, I would like to quit and go work at an inpatient or LTC facility where the management does the schedule and it is much more fair and where every hour I am on the clock I am earning actual RN wages for my work, but since I just started this earlier this year, I feel guilty if I quit now and am afraid of what my boss will say to me when I tell him. When I was hired I was also told that I would get a lot of visits on my on-call shifts, which is where the good money is, but I only get 1 visit a shift, 2 if I'm really lucky, and many nights I get none, so the pay isn't what I need it to be, since on-call pay without visits is also far below normal RN wages. I am very frustrated. Any suggestions?

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

You get $12 for call? Is this a full time posittion? WOW! I get $3 and work every other week in addition to my regular hours during the day. Usually no call outs and maybe one or two calls.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

I can sympathize, $3/hr. is ridiculous! Still, when most of my hours are at around $12/hr...well, I could go work at the library or something and it wouldn't be nearly as stressful and the pay would be about the same. When I started, I was assured that I would get lots of calls on each on-call shift and it's not happening. It's bothering me because I know that I could make a lot more, even with working fewer hours, if I went back to inpatient or LTC nursing.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Tele, ICU.

I'd find another job where you are happier and making more $.....your loyalty has to be to your family, yourself and then, maybe, you're employer. There are plenty of nursing jobs out there for ya! Good luck :)

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
I can sympathize, $3/hr. is ridiculous! Still, when most of my hours are at around $12/hr...well, I could go work at the library or something and it wouldn't be nearly as stressful and the pay would be about the same. When I started, I was assured that I would get lots of calls on each on-call shift and it's not happening. It's bothering me because I know that I could make a lot more, even with working fewer hours, if I went back to inpatient or LTC nursing.

I'm just the opposite. I love it when there are no call outs! I've been on call since Friday @ 430 and I've had one call. Didn't need a visit, though. I've been able to spend the entire w/e cleaning my house and studying for a test I have tomorrow.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.
I'm just the opposite. I love it when there are no call outs! I've been on call since Friday @ 430 and I've had one call. Didn't need a visit, though. I've been able to spend the entire w/e cleaning my house and studying for a test I have tomorrow.

I understand what you're saying. I love getting paid to sleep, clean my house, etc., and I have never had a job before where I earned most of my money while sitting at home. I think it's just a difficult adjustment for me to be paid the on-call and triage hourly rates when I used to work as a contingent RN in a hospital and made up to $48/hr. when I worked a weekend shift that they were offering a bonus for. My normal hourly rate wasn't that high, but it was close to $30/hr. so $10-12 is hard to adjust to, even though I do get to sit at home.

I still don't know what I will end up doing. I am going to hang out for the next couple of weeks and see how the visits go and figure it out from there. Thanks to you guys for your responses. :)

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Specializes in ER, Cardiac, Hospice, Hyperbaric, Float.

Whatever you decide, do NOT worry about your boss being mad at you or whatever. You take care of YOU. I don't know if it is because this profession is dominated by women and we feel responsible for everything or what, but nurses seem to forget a couple of things when it comes to their jobs: (1) Your boss would terminate your position in a heartbeat if there was a reason to do so (the census was down, they needed to cut positions, etc. - you name it), so why should you feel such loyalty? You shouldn't. (2) As an RN, you can get a job ANYWHERE you want to. No, it may not be the dream job of the century, but remember, there is STILL a nursing shortage. No matter what is happening in the economy with unemployment and other things, we are lucky enough to be in a profession where we are not really affected much by this. You have valuable skills, and you WILL get another job elsewhere. Be confident, take care of yourself (so you can take care of your patients, wherever they may be), and do whatever you need to do.

:yeah:

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

I am salaried weekend on call 5pfriday-8amonday. I have a backup nurse from 9a-5p on saturday and sunday....some weekends it's a beautiful dream and i only have to work 10-12 hours; other weekends it's pure hell and i'll go 16hrs straight (then notify my backup that she will have to cover a few hours so i can lay down for 4 hrs). I can't imagine doing this for less than $12/hr. i'm salaried, and it pays over $30/hr plus mileage. Bless you. I can't imagine doing for less than $12/hr-even triage....you may not have to go out, but you still are awoken by distressed family members and you have to fix the problem....

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

Thanks for the advice and wisdom. ITA that we women often feel loyalty to companies, bosses, etc. who feel no loyalty towards us and are just looking at filling holes in a schedule or balancing the bottom line. And AtlantaRN, thanks for understanding that even though triage isn't physically demanding and doesn't make you leave the house it can still be extremely mentally and emotionally stressful. When you have a tearful spouse on the phone describing the suffering of their lifelong partner and love of their life and they want you to make it all better...yep, that's stressful, unless you have a heart of stone and just don't care, and I don't know one hospice nurse who could be described that way. We are the ultimate caregivers, and I think that's why we're drawn to hospice nursing in the first place.

Thanks again. I am praying, and thinking, and reading classified ads, and just generally waiting for it to all fall into place. :)

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

I understand-that phone rings and your adrenaline kicks in---flight or fight. Even if it's just a phone call without needing a visit, you are still awake for several hours. You can't take your regular sleep med because what if you get another call.......Your time and sleep (or lack of) is worth more than $12/hr

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Find another job and be straight up with the supervisor if he questions you. Let him know about the difference between what you were told upon hire, what you were expecting, what you need in terms of employment, and what has turned out to be reality. I am quite certain that he will be very aware of why you are moving on.

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