I Need to do Something...

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.

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'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 :)

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.

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. :)

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.

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....

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. :)

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