Lack of hours

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

I started pediatric home health in Los Angeles in Nov. I like the job but right my agency seems to have a shortage of hours for me. In fact right now I'm not on a case at all but them seem to still be advertising on craigslist for more nurses. Is this normal for this time of year?

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Lots of employers continue to advertise even though they have nurses on the books who don't have any hours at all and may not have had a case for months. You need to "politely" bug them on a regular basis or put in for unemployment. Nothing like the unemployment thorn in the side to get them to find some work for you. Work that wasn't there the week before. Good luck.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

I don't think I have worked long enough to qualify for unemployment. I last talked to them at the start of the year when my night shift got cancelled by the mom.

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That's too bad because that is the best way to get their attention. Well, I'm having the same problem as are many others, I'm sure. It really does bother me a little that these agencies runs ads and hire new people when there are employees that don't get any work. You would think the employers would take care of those who have some seniority instead of always trying to add new faces. Good luck getting them to get something for you. You can always go to other agencies until you find one that places you on a case.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

I am now branching out to other agencies. I'm applying for MSMC lvn-rn program for fall so if all goes well I'll start in August but would like to be able to save up a little money for tuition.

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Yeah, working night shift in home health is great for school in the day time. You don't even have to work a full schedule, just enough to bring in some money. I used to (as much as I could) do homework and studying at night with clients that didn't care what I did at night as long as I took care of the patient. Good luck with MSMC.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Yeah. I just feel like I've let my husband down. He kept on asking me all through Vn school. "You do plan on working right?" I think he thinks I planned this =c

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There are people who plan to be unemployed but usually not nurses. My mom used to tell me to tell people what I did for a living when I was unemployed, was "I'm independently wealthy!" That has never worked as an explanation for lack of a job! People take one look at my lifestyle and figure out the truth.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Well I just got called for a case but unfortunately only weekends. Better than nothing I suppose...

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Yeah. Sometimes you have to piece together a shift here and a shift there until you have a schedule that adds up to full time. Actually that is better than five days a week on the same case in one respect. If one of your cases ends, then you at least have the others until you can find a replacement. If you are full time on one case, if it ends, you are virtually unemployed until they get you another case(s).

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Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

When I started private duty I took the shifts no one wanted including every weekend. When a nurse left for maternity leave and never came back, I got her shifts. To work full time I think you have to be very flexible in terms of your days/hours but it can be done.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

That has been my strategy so far working nights and weekends.

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