Mandated to work Saturday?

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Hi, I am new to this site.  Just had a very frustrating day at work that I would like some fellow nurses’ advice on before moving forward.  I am an RN at a family medicine clinic.  We have set hours M-F.  A few weeks ago our nursing supervisor announced that the clinic would be offering 3 Saturday clinics and that they needed volunteers to staff these clinics.  We have 3 RNs and no one signed up.  Today the supervisor sent out an email stating that if no one signed up she would be forced to draw names out of a hat.  At the end of my shift today I received an email that I was going to be working this clinic.  I am not thrilled with this as my husband and I have plans for the weekend and expensive tickets for a Cubs game.  I asked a friend at work if we could really be mandated to work on a weekend when our clinic is not typically even open on weekends.  She said she didn’t think so and advised me to reach out to HR on this issue.  Personally I don’t think this is fair and that my nursing supervisor should work this shift if there were no willing staff members.  My husband however fears that going to HR would cause my nursing supervisor to cause more problems for me in the long run.  Does anyone have any advice on what to do about this?  Any comments are welcome:)

5 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Which of the Saturdays is your nurse manager working?

None!

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47 minutes ago, klone said:

I apologize in advance, my stop. key is. broken.

Probably the nurse manager. puts. in 50 hour. work weeks already. Sorry, this hits. home to me.

OP, I'm a. nurse. manager of an ambulatory clinic, and my advice. was going to be, if you're in a union, check. your CBA.

Is. the  manager planning on giving you a day off in compensation,  or is this mandated overtime? Depending on the state, OT. can be mandated. 

Our clinics have Saturdays, and particularly during Covid, we were. requiring the RNs to work on. Saturdays to respond to. lab results. We could mandate, but had. to. give a minimum of 2 weeks notice to do so. I agree with Rose Queen that you probably should have volunteered for one of the other Saturdays. if you. knew. you already had. plans.

I feel like if this would have been presented differently maybe it would have gone over a little better.  If for example my nursing supervisor would have said from the get go, “We have 3 Saturday clinics that you can choose to sign up for but if no one does be forewarned that I can mandate you to work one/more than one of them if I choose to” instead of something that appeared to be optional.  Plus I do not feel like much notice was given to me for this situation.  I will plan to check with HR today to see what exactly the policy is. 

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Do you have the communication from your manager in an email form?

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I do.  I have the email about drawing names out of a hat (which was done privately I guess) and then the one telling me I was selected to work.  I plan to bring this to HR’s attention.  Even if I’m told I have no option to work this shift I feel the way my nurse supervisor went about it wasn’t too great.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Do you have the original email which indicated that it was completely voluntary?

im curious what an RN would do at a school physical clinic anyway? Our RNs are utilized for phone triage only, and the MAs/LPNs work in the clinic with patients coming in to be seen. 

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Hi, I should have the original email.  I’ll look when I get to work today.  As far as why RNs are needed we were told “just in case something comes up that needs an RN.”  We were told that we could basically do our weekday work (answering telephone encounters) while there.  The CMAs will be the ones rooming patients/giving vaccines.  LPNs in our clinic basically function as CMAs.  They weren’t included in the sign up at all though.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

So if there are 3 Saturdays and 3 RNs then you each work one I would assume. That being said, I would say I volunteer for XYZ, that way you decide. BUT, I would want OT for sure and I would see if you could at least pick the weekend you want. 

I think it is wrong they didn't tell you sooner, also that they mandate it. Going forward this is something that should be in your contract. 

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Specializes in school nurse.

I wouldn't bother with HR if I were you. It probably won't accomplish anything except generating animosity between you and your manager.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Just now, Jedrnurse said:

I wouldn't bother with HR if I were you. It probably won't accomplish anything except generating animosity between you and your manager.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they use the “and any other duties as assigned” line of the job description to justify it. 

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Weird. We have Saturday clinics every Saturday, but it’s just the clinicians and their rooming staff (MA or LPN). I wonder what they think will “come up” that would require an RN. 

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2 hours ago, klone said:

... I wonder what they think will “come up” that would require an RN. 

Unless the OP was mandated to work all three weekends does it really matter?  The OP had the opportunity to volunteer for one of the 3 weekends that he or she didn't have plans but opted not to do so.  

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Heck I would have volunteered for one of them and let the other two duke it out if it were me. But what's done is done. HR won't help you. Can someone trade with you so you can go to the game?

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