Is it the nurse obligation to stay ovetime when you can't find to replace?

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I'm not sure about this obligation thing. I never heard about it. That a Nurse have to stay over if no-one is available to work?

Why would I be the responsible for that?

My only responsible is to find someone to work if someone call-in sick

Then, why I'm automatically be the one will work if I can't find nobody?

Do I have no right to say no?

Why would be an abandonment for the patient?

I have reasons why I cant, I'm tired. I been awake 8am then I work 3pm to 11:30pm. Do you think I have the energy to work 11pm to 7am in the morning?

The weird part about this, the schedule is already posted and they want me to work tonight and cancel my schedule the next day. Can they really do that? Am I not protected by a law or something. I felt harass.

She told me "You have no choice, it's an abandonment if you leave without a reliever, you'll be in deep trouble"

Isn't the supervisors obligation to work if they can't find nobody?

Is this like a general rule for all Nurses in the USA? or the whole world?

Thank God I found somebody to work, but I felt that my rights have been violated.

Why do they have to make me work, if I can't?

Do I still have the right to complain still, even though that I almost have to work tonight?

I feel sad, I never imagine that situation can happen like this.:bluecry1:

That reminds me . . . . one morning (0300) when I was scheduled to be at work and was not there and did not answer my phone co-workers came to my house to wake me up. [b'] One came into the house (we don't lock our doors here in this small town) . . she stood in my living room and yelled out my name. No response. [/b]

She called the supervisor - who called the cops - thinking my family and I must be dead or something.

But - we sleep with a fan in our room with the bedroom door closed and no phone! And I had forgotten to turn on the alarm. So, we were simply sleeping.

steph

That'll get you shot here. :yeah:

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That'll get you shot here. :yeah:

We didn't hear her. Our gun is in our bedroom though . . . . :D

steph

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Here is a sure fire way to not be mandated to work against your wishes. Simply tell them "I am officially notifying you that I am tired and not competent to render care to patients. If you force me to stay against my judgement with the knowledge that I have informed you that I am not competent to continue delivering care to my patients then you personally, all of your supervisors and the hospital assume all legal responsibility for any errors or any ommissions that result in damage to my patients, co-workers or myself." Then have them sign it. First, I doubt they will sign it. Second, you will probably be sent home. Third you will be a hero to the rest of the staff. Fourth you will be a goat to all of the nursing leadership and administration. Fifth, you will probably be unemployed at that facility very soon.

Good luck!

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Specializes in LTC.

I have the same problem ....last yr i worked doubles every single month....with no choice...i thought. I complained and complained but got nowhere....finally the administrator talked to me and we all came up with the agreement that when it comes to staying over we will rotate. I work 3 - 11 also and after being up all day long with a baby then working a double....its rough and unsafe. I told him that it was dangerous to be up that long and giving insulins etc.....so since then we've been rotating who stays. we have no prn's for 3rd shift and the ones we've had in the past never came in. I got sick of always being the one to stay ...i even told the other nurses i work with that i wouldnt do anymore doubles after my 11th one that they could hash it out and that worked. working like that all the time burned me out so bad i couldnt stand it. i was always told that if no nurse could be found that the nurse manager was supposed to come in and cover it...don adon..etc...but that doesnt always happen.....at least not at my place. none of our nurse managers know how to do the med passes. it would be so sweet to have them come out just 1 time and do a med pass on each shift and do all the things they tell us to do....just to see what its really like.

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go into someone's house and try to wake them up? you must live in the most desolate of areas! if by the odd chance someone walked into my house (the locks are not closed? the alarm is not own? not even during the daytime) you will meet the business end of my new little friend....

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go into someone's house and try to wake them up? you must live in the most desolate of areas! if by the odd chance someone walked into my house (the locks are not closed? the alarm is not own? not even during the daytime) you will meet the business end of my new little friend....

smith_500_10.jpg price: $1,209.99

manufacturer: smith and wesson inc

manufacturer item #: 170231

impact item #: 022188702316

[color=#008f00]available online, ships in 48 hrs.

call for in-store availability.

[add

pretty! :yeah:

i do live in a very small town. 600 people in the town, about 2000 in the entire valley.

steph

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Isn't that why they have staffing agencies?

I'd think the liability risk would skyrocket in that situation... I understand it- but at the same time, that's one of those points that need to be looked at for standardized change, IMO. A sleep deprived medical professional is far more likely to make mistakes. Mistakes can cost lives. On the other hand- so does understaffing and they're thinking sleep deprivation is better than understaffing. Still- both are dangerous situations.

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

If this is habitual at the place where you work, and there's no union, it's time to get one! My understanding of Labor law (and that's from CA), is that if someone has to work overtime or per diem nurses are called in, for a total of 40 hours a week, for several months, the facility must create another budgeted position.

Also, many places have an understanding or written policy with their managers, that if a nurse is sick and there is no one available to safely cover their unit, she/he must go in to staff the shift. Find out if that's so at your place of employment. If it is, don't take it upon yourself to call that manager (you could be branded a "troublemaker"). The supervisor should call her/him in

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Texas law says no mandatory overtime unless there is a disaster or something similar. Poor planning is not considered a disaster (except by the planner).

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well a little research yields a lot of information. here is the national council of state boards of nursing (ncsbn) written policy statement courtesy of the georgia board of nursing in response to an inquiry by the georgia nurses association (does this count as ceu credits?):

the concerns expressed regarding patient abandonment and mandatory overtime is equally shared by members of the georgia board of nursing. board staff and board members alike are increasingly being confronted by consumers and employers regarding these issues. with today's health care environment and current nursing shortage, i fear these scenarios will continue to surface.

during the board's july meeting, a brief discussion occurred for the need to further dialogue and explore these issues from a regulatory standpoint. board members reviewed various positions taken by other jurisdictions and a position statement has recently been adopted. during the september 19-21, 2001 board meeting, the georgia board of nursing approved the adoption of ncsbn's resolution that states the following:

that the national council of state boards of nursing (ncsbn) promotes safe and effective nursing practice in the interest of protecting public health and welfare. therefore, national council recognizes the professional responsibility of nurses to accept or decline overtime assignments based on their selfassessment of ability to provide safe care.'

in addition, the board also approved the following definition for patient abandonment to be utilized by the board staff as the board's official position and to be posted on the web site:

`leaving an assigned patients) assignment, for which you have accepted responsibility, prior to the end of an agreed upon work period without appropriately notifying supervisory personnel.'

patient safety is of utmost importance and a conceptual framework for these workplace issues will springboard further dialogue and potential rules and regulations governing nursing practice in georgia. the concerns of gna members with patient abandonment and mandatory overtime are noted and appreciated. sincerely,

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