Mandated

onyx77 · Oct 22, 2008

Where I work we are allowed to refuse mandation once a year. If we refuse after that we are terminated. I had my first mandate shortly after I was off of orientation. It sucked - I had to find someone to pick my son up from his friends house, because goodness knows that his dad surely wouldn't do it. Thank God, my husband got off of work early that day and was able to bring him to his dad's house!

The whole mandating thing has me looking for another job. I know that it can probably happen anywhere, but there are places out there that have enough staff and staff that actually like coming into work. Makes all the difference in the world!

PurrRN · Oct 22, 2008

It's unfortunate that employers treat us like they do, but it is a reality

that they don't care about you/us other than as a means to fulfill THEIR obligations. You could try being honest with them and tell them that you absolutely cannot work over and the first time you are

mandated you will resign, however this typically doesn't work (because

they mostly don't care about YOUR responsibilities, only theirs).

It comes down to you feeling empowered to drop the job and move on. I don't mean abandon your patients (that only hurts you with the BON), I mean that the first time after you are mandated and after you have informed them that you CANNOT, you suck up having the babysitter keep your baby until you are relieved, and then quit.

It's not what you want to hear, it's not what I would like to say, but

we as nurses cannot ignore the fact that we are continually being taken advantage of because higher ups don't want to do the responsible thing and hire enough personnel to cover their positons.

I hope you find a way to make your position work for you. Maybe I'm wrong this time and they'll work with you with your situation.

Lots of luck. Angela

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2008

Mandated what is that? An excuse to save money and not employ enough staff???

Dolce, RN · Oct 22, 2008

Oooh, this just makes me so mad. No wonder we have a nursing shortage!!!! What other industry forces their employees to stay--at the drop of a hat--beyond their regularly scheduled shift? It is a completely unreasonable request. I hate to say this because I am generally anti-union, but it is working conditions like this that need a corporate response from all of your coworkers. I don't think the management at your hospital would be willing to stay over their shift whenever they are "mandated" to do so. They shouldn't force nurses to do that either. If I were in the same position as you I would look for work elsewhere.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2008

I've never worked anywhere like that! That's horrible!!!!

Sk8ermomRN · Oct 22, 2008

Are these 8 hour shifts? Every major employer in my region does only 12 hour shifts...I think my feet would fall off if I were expected to stand on them for 2 12 hour shifts!! :eek:

Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2008

Funny thing is that mandation usually only occurs in union states. The non union right to work states cannot mandate. In Texas, a right to work state, it is illegal to force someone to stay over for overtime. Gotta love the right to work state. If they try it here you can write out report and hand it to your charge nurse and that is giving report. Written reports are allowed, then you can leave.

grandkids4 · Oct 22, 2008

I have never worked in a mamdated hospital, but I think it is unfair and really unsafe. I also work in Tx now, but have also worked in Va, Ca, MD. SOme of the hospitals I worked at would offer bonus pay or something like that to encourage nurses tp work doubles. I just can't imagine being mandated to.That's just horrible.

floatRN · Oct 22, 2008

Mandatory ovetime is unsafe and unfair to the employees. I have had 3 hospital nursing jobs. The first 2 never used mandatory overtime. My current job mandates people frequently. My current job is also the only place that I have worked that has a union. My turn comes up about once every few months. I work 7am-7pm. When mandated, I have to stay until 11:30. If I am scheduled to work at 7am the next day, I still have to come in and work my 12 hour shift. Its an extremely unsafe situation. By the time I am doing my 10pm med pass, I am so tired I can't think straight anymore. I am so scared I will make a med error. Then the next day, I feel like a zombie all day and working a 12 hour shift is torture. I never volunteer to work a double because I know I am not alert enough to provide safe care after 12 hours. I resent very much being forced to work over my scheduled time and risk my license by working while exhausted. I have alot of other things going on in my life right now and it is not a good time to change jobs. However, if this continues I will start looking for another job and will make it clear that I am quitting because of short staffing and mandatory overtime. I don't have children and can't imagine having the added stress of finding child care at the last minute.

Straydandelion · Oct 22, 2008

I agree with others, I wouldn't work in a mandated hospital and would be looking for another job. The nursing shortage on nights was solved at one hospital I worked at by allowing nights to work 7 and get paid for 10, there was always plenty of nurses willing to do this. IMO it sounds like your hospital is not even attempting to find an "agreeable" solution to the shortage and I would worry about other aspects of my employment also.

JB2007, ASN, RN · Oct 22, 2008

I would not say that I was mandated to work, but my shift ended and nobody was there to take over my residents. Lets add the on call nurse was not returning my calls, so it was either work or lose my lincense for abandonment.