Low census vs. on call????

SandraCVRN · May 16, 2010

If we get low census, we have to be available for the first 4 hours. If we don't get called in by then we are off the hook. No call pay or time and a half. Basically it's just getting the day off...... No extra pay because it was your shift to begin with.....

Ahhphoey · May 16, 2010

We get $1.50 an hour to be on call. In my unit we are never cancelled unless there is more staff scheduled than could possibly be needed (which is basically never. Still means you can't have a drink or think about doing anything too fun because then you'll get that dreaded call about some admission that brings the census up just enough to drag you in there.

cardiacmadeline, RN · May 16, 2010

If we have low census, we will call people off for their whole eight hour shift if we are able. Staffing is assessed every four hours, so people are called off for four hours all the time, although rarely on night shift because you don't get as many admissions on night. It is all voluntary, if you don't want the time off we move on to the next person. You can take it as paid time or unpaid. We don't do on call on my unit. No one is ever called off for an entire 12 hour shift, hosptial staffing and dynamics can change too quickly in 12 hours.

RNperdiem, RN · May 16, 2010

Where I work, if you are called off, you are off for the whole shift.

People often request to be put on call so they can get even part of a shift if the need arises.

Per diem staff are usually the first called off. If I don't work, I don't get paid.

On call is at nurse request around here, and we don't get paid any extra.

Cell phones make life easier. (I remember the days before them).

linearthinker, DNP, RN · May 16, 2010

At my hospital, we get $1/h for taking call. If census is low, we are put on call and must remain available for the whole 12 hours. We do not get anything above standard pay when we are callled in. I just refuse to accept call. I'm either working or not, I let them choose. Id rather stay home personally, but I will not be on call. If you think you need me, I'm coming and clocking in on time. I read, knit, study,surf the net, watch tv. If nothing is happening I usually clock out and go home b/w 4-5. Admits after that can waIt untilafter shift change, I'm not coming back. They don't take advantage of me b/c I won't allow it.

ontocrna · May 16, 2010

Do you guys have all this in writing? I've gone to the beloved handbook and there's nothing in there about being available when on low census. On call states very clearly that you have to be sober and available and arrive to the hospital within set time limits per specific unit needs. I tend to go by the book because it's the only help you get where I work. Just wondering if all these descriptions are all based on past practice or written as policy for you?

RaeRae1997 · May 17, 2010

We get paid 1.50 per hour for being on call. We are put on call 4 hours at a time as far as call back pay is concerned. It's a little confusing, if your put on call you don't have to call in or expect a call every 4 hours but say your called back at 10p and come in at 11p you would not receive any call back pay. If your called back at 9p and get there at 10p you would get call back pay for 1 hour and the other 8 hours of work at regular pay. We put people with overtime on call first. I work at a huge hospital so in the rare occasion we get put on call, if I don't want to be on call I just ask if there's another floor I could be relocated to.

JulieCVICURN, BSN, RN · May 17, 2010

I don't think you can rely on what it means to anyone else when you're trying to figure out what it all means for you. At my facility, if you get low census you are on call for your entire 12 hour shift unless the charge nurse calls and puts you off for the rest of the night. If you are the only one on call, you will never at any point in the night be put off. If you are one of two or three on call, you will be put off by 11 if you are not the first one on the list to come on, which we determine by last date that that employee was put on call for more than 6 hours. We get 2.50 an hour for this unless we are put off, and then we get bubkes. If we are called to come in, we have 1 hour to get to the unit and get working.

This is our written policy.

As a general practice, we try to not call anyone in if there's less than 5 hours left in a shift, because it sucks to do that to someone. Sometimes, because we are ICU, we have no choice because the patient is a trainwreck, but we try to help each other out.

littleneoRN · May 17, 2010

We work in four or eight hour chunks since we have a mix of 8 and 12 hour shifts. You can be cancelled, given a voluntary low needs day, or be put on call. If you are cancelled or given a low needs day, you are off the hook. Can't be called back in. (If we all of a sudden get a rush of patients, we will call the people we cancelled and offer them the shift back, but they are not obligated). This is either unpaid or you can pay yourself out of time off. We rarely put more than one person if any on call, and that person is paid 7 dollars and change per hour. If called in, you get paid for no less than 4 hours, even if they don't keep you that long.

If you work a twelve hour shift, you can be cancelled for the first four but still have to come in for the last 8. Sometimes the whole thing is cancelled, but not in one fell swoop. (You have to wait and see when it's closer). We do not have the option of saying as a nurse, "all or nothing."

This is all per our contract.

littleneoRN · May 17, 2010

Oh, and on call is purely voluntary.

Chico David, BSN, RN · May 17, 2010

Our hospital used to do that same crap to us all the time - call us off in 4 hour blocks and tell us we had to be available just in case. So when we unionized our place, that was a high priority for our contract. Now they have a choice: call you off for the whole shift or put you on call at $10.50 per hour. Because it is your regularly scheduled shift, you still come in at straight time if you are called in, but at least there is something for the nuisance of being kept hanging.