I'm tired of working 4 X 12's

[stevethenurse]

The hospital I work at schedules us 4 days on 3 days off. It is nice to have 3 day weekends (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) but on the days we do work we are working 12 hour days - night shift. Gets a little exhausting - especially since lunch is eaten on the go and breaks are scheduled but somehow never happen. They are always really good about taking out lunch time from our pay though - as if we actually had time to sit down and each lunch. The one saving grace is that we all get along and there are no real feifdoms.

Not meaning to be whiny, but I am going back to work in 7 hours and I am not a happy camper.

Steve

[Poi Dog]

Take it from me; it is not safe to drive when you are tired. I got lucky. It stinks that we in healthcare are made to work long hours. And let's not even talk about being mandated.

Take care of you. Some mistakes are not fixable.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I know they're not doing it because they love us - but if the threat of having to pay a meal penalty is all it takes for us to get to sit down for a total of an hour a day, then I'm all for it.

Yeah- it could make a nice holiday gift fund, eh?

[RNdiva505]

I don't mind doing 4 in a row for about a month....then.....back to three a week! Sometimes I feel like I live at the hospital with all the extra things we have to do outside of work (i.e. BCLS, meetings, mandatory this's or that's).....maybe I should just get my address changed! :nuke:

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

a big reason, aside from money, that i went into nursing was to work 3 twelves and only 36 hours a week. little did i know i would end up doing 50+ most weeks. lol

[FocusRN]

Okay, you also need to look at the federal labor laws also. In your situation, no matter if you look at Cali's or the Fed's, you should be getting paid 8 hours of OT per week/ 16 per pay period (if bi-weekly), unless you are EXEMPT which equals salaried, and if you are punching a time clock that is not you. And even if you have waived one of your breaks, if you are not free to leave the buildings without any duties for the other break, it is not a break, and they can not legally take it out of your paycheck, this is why most facilities that I have worked at, do not give their nurses scheduled breaks or take out for them,because anything can happen.

You need to get your money, for all the back OT and lunches that weren't lunches, period. Get a lawyer, and have him/her draft a letter, stating the facts and demanding immediate payment, and putting them on notice that any attempts at retribution won't be tolerated. The attorney will word it, in an appropriate manner.

If you don't want to be singles out, then get your coworkers to go in with you on the attorney, and maybe provide some anonymity for everyone at the beginning. But the point is, go get your money!