Manager Insists....

[alaskaman]

On a new position for 7 months....last week the manager told me that to comply with the policy day shift nurses (12 hour) stay on the unit until 1930. Typically in a high acuity area after you give report and check in with the patient you can leave. The manager derives her view from those 7 minutes totaled up are a lot of hours of wasted labor. So even after clocking out at 1923 she wants nurses to stay.I point out that the unit is steady and many of us have lives which benefit from leaving a few minutes after report is completed...and yet she is adamant and insistent. I pointed out that I will have to pull back from full time to a .6 next year. She was clearly shocked.

First time in 25 years as an RN I've ever heard of this. Anyone else?

[caliotter3]

I was pulling myself together and heading for the door three or even two minutes before the official end of the shift. The client jumped me one day, so I told her off, so to speak, and immediately stopped coming in up to 40-45 minutes early. Now I sit in my car until it is the top of the hour on the dot. Anal retentiveness can go in both directions. I was giving a lot of free labor in those 20 to 45 early minutes before the official start of my shift.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

What time keeping system is in use? I work from home using Kronos and understand that I cannot sign out early,have a 5 minute window to sign out or they have to pay me OT. Pick your battles, this should not be one of them.

[MunoRN, RN]

If you're scheduled until 1930 then you've got nothing to complain about, if you're done with report at 1923 then you still need to finish your shift, even if at that involves is putting out fires for 7 minutes so that the oncoming shift can finish getting their report or just get their plan together.

There are few things that annoy me more than having someone who's clocked out 7 minutes early tell me that my patient needs help with this or that while I'm still giving report because they can't help me with it because they've already clocked out and have their jacket on to go home. Finish your shift.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Of all the potential work issues in nursing jobs, I don't think the 7 minute thing is something to go to the mat over. Particularly if you're scheduled until the half hour.

Actually, if this is the worst thing you have to complain about, you're pretty lucky...

[KRVRN, BSN, RN]

Everything gets rounded to the nearest quarter hour. 1922 rounds to 1915 and 1923 rounds to 1930. If you are to work 12 hrs you have to clock out no sooner than 1923, otherwise you only worked 11hrs 45 min. (off clock 30 min for lunch). Definitely stay long enough or you might be docked 15 min of PTO.

But she wants you to clock at 1930 instead of 1923? Maybe that's so she doesn't feel like you got 7 free minutes.

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

I'm guessing that the facility you work at automatically takes your half hour break for lunch out. Staying until 7:30 fulfills the requirement of 12 hours shifts. You clock out at 7:23, and you're getting paid for 7 minutes that you didn't work.

If she needs you to stay until 7:30, then do it. Just make report a little more detailed. It's 7 minutes.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

If you're being paid through 1930 you should be there on the floor until 1930.

Ready to work. Help someone to the toilet or whatever.

It kind of isn't right because you've likely given up lots and lots of breaks over the years. but the

purpose of shift overlap is to give report and steady the ward while oncoming staff get finished with

report.

be sure to take all of your breaks and don't give away any more free work. but as PP said, pick your battles.

[AutumnApple]

Early in my career, my manager responded to pettiness (gossip gone too far for instance) with a "If this is what concerns you, you don't have enough to do" point of view. In a lot of cases she was right too. I kept that approach in mind as I became an ADON later on.

I think this theory applies to your manager. Seriously, she needs something to do to occupy her.

Perhaps for Christmas get her one of those activity bibs to wear. You never know, it might help.

It's not about '23 vs '30 punch times. What I'd be concerned about is whether your nursing was taken care of. Yes, if you're punching out at '23 and there are orders left undone and/or patients on the call light for pain coverage, I'd have an issue. If no such issues are present, well, she needs to find something more constructive to do.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

where I work they pay by the minute. I think that 7 minute thing is left over from paper and pencil payroll.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

where I work they pay by the minute. I think that 7 minute thing is left over from paper and pencil payroll.

It's a SIX minute thing. It is covered under the labor laws. That is why administration watches it like a hawk. Punch in early, you should get paid for OT. Punch out early, you get docked for 15 minutes.

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Yikes. So after you've given hand-off report, she wants the unit overstaffed for 7 minutes?

Clearly something happened that she's reacting to.

But if it's so critical to have it double staffed at this time, why not at other times? Still, as others said, it's best just to go with it.

[guest769224]

I disagree with the majority of posters telling you to "just do it or deal with it".

If it was me, I'm at work to be PAID. I will not perform work duties off the clock. That's why we work, for payment.

If others want to wait around doing charity work for free, it's their choice. For me, I'm staying clocked in for my services provided.

The union I belong to strictly prohibits working off the clock anyway. Why would you do your manager a favor when she clearly doesn't care about making you stay extra without pay?