I'm so upset! (warning-long)

gemtat · Jul 22, 2005

You have to be kidding ! I'm sick and I have to call around to find someone to work for me. I think I would rather have the on-call

Man, after reading this I feel so lucky to have a good union and work in Northern California. We have a 1:5 ration on M/S and 1:4 on Telemetry. We cannot be forced to do OT and we do not have to be on-call EVER. We call in sick even if kids are sick or even an elderly parent and get paid from sick time. If we work opposite weekend we get paid doubletime for every hour we work the next scheduled weekend (we have to work every other weekend). We are paid about 50 dollars an hour for someone with 5 years experience on evening shift. New grads are 38 dollars per hour for day shift. We are due new contract next year and will improve on this. We have a 6 % raise coming at end of year before contract is up. The union will grieve issues anytime hospital does not follow rules. On telemetry I have 4 patients, one aide to 10 patients but we have a relief/resource nurse who helps with any problems, admits, discharges etc. We are still busy but patients get a lot more attention and we can do some teaching and TLC. We each have 2 primary and 2 for aide but we all help eachother. Most of us want to do doubles as we get a lot of money and can ask for next day off if we are too tired to work next shift.

I really hate that hospitals abuse nurses. It seems like they just don't get how much they need us until they are forced to. Good luck to all of you.

Move to California but beware...housing prices are outrageous...still, it is beautiful here and good weather!

sockov, ADN, ASN, BSN, CNA, LVN · Jul 22, 2005

When I worked in the ER, we had to take one "on-call" nite per month. They usually posted a list and we got to sign up (there was a race to get the list first!). When we were short staffed because of a sick call, the charge nurse used to call the on-call nurse in. The entire staff was getting as burned as you are now. We had a meeting and policy changed. The charge nurses were told that the on-call was not to be used to cover sick calls. If you were the person calling in sick, you had to call the entire staff list to see if you could find coverage for yourself. You had to mark the time you called the person, their response, & if they were not home you had to try again. Only then, could you call in to the unit. This telephone list had to be turned into the nurse manager if you couldn't find coverage. We were paid a nominal, flat fee for being on-call, time-and-a-half if we were called in. Things got much better for the on-call nurse, and you were mostly called in for traumas or excessive volume, hardly ever for sick coverage. People need to be accountable for their actions!

NO-WAY would I want a job where they "make you call around" just to call in sick. Sorry, but not my problem. If it creates short staffing, then they need to close beds. If I am sick I am not calling around and keeping a list to turn in later! Managment needs to find another way to fix the problem.

More money and more respect will work in my mind!

plumrn, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2005

That's right. If you are on call, you will be paid $1.25/hour-no more. If you are called in, you get paid your regular salary; time and a half if it is overtime.

This calling everyone on the list to find your own coverage when you are sick is ridiculous. If I am sick, I am sick, and I won't be calling anyone to take my place between episodes of vomiting, or whatever the case may be. That is going way too far. Very demeaning. Unbelievable.

gypsyatheart · Jul 22, 2005

Somebody posted on here, "the grass is not always greener...on the other side....", well, all I can say to the OP is: Oh yes it is. I firmly believe in nursing creating it's own voice and having it heard; there is a resaon we have a nursing shortage, it's not for lack of nurses, but for the work/working conditions of our jobs. I would encourage you to get another job ASAP, and start encouraging your co-workers to "see the light". Management is not going to listen to you, they only "listen" to their budgets....if enough nurses "organize" and make a plan and stick together, gee, just imagine what could happen....

Some battles, however, just aren't worth fighting, this may not be one you want to fight, so just get out....as I say: I work to live, not live to work!:)

Rita Marie · Jul 23, 2005

Basically every 6 week schedule we have to sign up for 2 on calls (1 week day night, and one weekend day or night). We are on call from 5p-8p, meaning we have to answer our phone between those times and be able to be at work in an hour. We are NOT paid for this time (5-8), which I think is ludicrous. But thats not even what the problem is here.....
Basically, tonight, I was on call. They called me in. Nurses at night shift on my floor can have a max of 7 patients, charge does not have patients, and we usually have 2 (if we are lucky) clinical associates (or aides with a little more skills). Mind you its a Sunday night...very slow since its a surgery floor and usually the floor consists of surgery patients waiting to go home on Monday. So I go in, and every nurse has 5 patients, 1 nurse has 4, and we have 2 clinical associates! (And no, they did not give me, the ON CALL person the 4 patients!..sorry but I think I should be treated a little better, since I was the one who got called in...) SO basically, if I hadn't been there, every nurse would have had 6 patients....BELOW THE MAX WE ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE! I've worked PLENTY of nights having 7 patients, PLENTY! And we NEVER called the on call in. I realize that it is the charge nurses descretion whether or not to call the on call in, and I tried not to be biased in my thinking....but I really saw NO reason why I was called in. We did not have any hard-to-handle patients on the floor, it was very slow, we had two clinical associates too! In fact, the whole time I was there we were sitting around, and they ordered out food.

I suppose you can try to fix the problem or leave, you might consider just a transfer to another floor.

Every floor in a facility is like a whole different world, it depends on the charge nurses, the director and so on. Perhaps a new floor in the same house will remedy the problem. One good "reason" to transfer is the old "I wanted a new challenge" story.

I would check with the Wage and Hour people in your neck of the woods. They are the folks that set up rules and regs regarding employer/employee work and pay situations. Every business has specific rules they must follow regarding overtime pay and so on.

I know of a case where the facility was expecting nurses to work overtime, but they were not planning to pay for it. Some of the employees filed a complaint with the Wage and Hour people and it settled the whole problem. Those that were salaried didn't get "overtime pay." Those that were paid by the hour got their overtime pay. The facility had to rethink their stategy of how to save $$.

Also I would find out if it is legal to not pay on-call time. Here where I am, we do get paid only $2.00/hour for being on-call. BUT since every ward is respondsible for their own budget, they are careful about how they spend even that little $2.00/hour. It all adds up.

Another solution would be to look into their float pool situation. If they don't have one, perhaps it is time that they consider it. Also, a suggestion to management about each floor being responsible for how their own budget is spent will help save the company money.

I do realize that you are at a university hospital--but in this day and age of fiscal constraints, everyone has to be careful with how they spend their money.

And if Maryland has organizations for nurses that can help set standards within the facility--I would see what they might suggest as well.

Good luck with your situation. I know it can really be a serious point of irritation and we need all the nurses we can have so hospitals can be as safe for the patients as they can be and still make us feel happy and satisfied with the choice of our profession.

mattsmom81 · Jul 23, 2005

I experienced that kind of crap too, at an HCA facility.

Aha....this is how they all operate then, eh??? Hmmm... :angryfire

Ya know they make their own bed when nobody will sign up extra....because they know they will just be screwed. Either at home for a buck an hour on call, or floated to medsurg when you were told you were needed in ICU. :angryfire

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jul 23, 2005

When I worked in the ER, we had to take one "on-call" nite per month. They usually posted a list and we got to sign up (there was a race to get the list first!). When we were short staffed because of a sick call, the charge nurse used to call the on-call nurse in. The entire staff was getting as burned as you are now. We had a meeting and policy changed. The charge nurses were told that the on-call was not to be used to cover sick calls. If you were the person calling in sick, you had to call the entire staff list to see if you could find coverage for yourself. You had to mark the time you called the person, their response, & if they were not home you had to try again. Only then, could you call in to the unit. This telephone list had to be turned into the nurse manager if you couldn't find coverage. We were paid a nominal, flat fee for being on-call, time-and-a-half if we were called in. Things got much better for the on-call nurse, and you were mostly called in for traumas or excessive volume, hardly ever for sick coverage. People need to be accountable for their actions!

I suppose the sounds of vomiting would decrease the chance that someone would stay on the phone long enough to say "yes, I'll com in"

Seriously, if you are sick the only thing you should have to do is call them and tell them.