Mandatory

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I just found out that my hospital in Florida is requiring mandatory to for nurses and pct. My director said all hospitals are doing this across the country. Are others dealing with this and is there anyway to protest this in the state of Florida or are we basically at the mercy of "management". I have a chronic condition which is challenging enough working 3, 13-14 hour days each week. We are constantly understaffed, without functioning equipment and we are forced to take whatever ER patient they decide to admit. I love caring for patients, but if things continue the way they are, they are going to lose a lot of nurses.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

What is the issue? Mandatory what? I think you made a typo.

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1 hour ago, GSDlvrRN said:

What is the issue? Mandatory what? I think you made a typo.

I’m not sure but I think perhaps ”mandatory to” was supposed to be mandatory OT (overtime)?

I’m sorry OP, I’m European so I’m not familiar with labor laws in Florida and can’t help with your question. So I’ll just send a thought from a fellow nurse hoping that the surge you’re currently experiencing abates sooner rather than later.

Best wishes!

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10 hours ago, runner502 said:

I just found out that my hospital in Florida is requiring mandatory to for nurses and pct. My director said all hospitals are doing this across the country. Are others dealing with this and is there anyway to protest this in the state of Florida or are we basically at the mercy of "management". I have a chronic condition which is challenging enough working 3, 13-14 hour days each week. We are constantly understaffed, without functioning equipment and we are forced to take whatever ER patient they decide to admit. I love caring for patients, but if things continue the way they are, they are going to lose a lot of nurses.

Mandatory over time? Is that what you meant to say?

On edit somebody else asked the same question.

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Sorry I meant mandatory overtime! I had just finished working 14 hours! LOL

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10 hours ago, runner502 said:

My director said all hospitals are doing this across the country.

Ah, yes. The answer to and excuse for everything! Of course that's not true.

Bluntly, yes you are most likely at their mercy. You can decline and they can terminate your at-will employment.

10 hours ago, runner502 said:

I love caring for patients, but if things continue the way they are, they are going to lose a lot of nurses.

You can be certain that they do not care. They appear to prefer to lose people who complain about poor treatment. There are lots of new nurses being pumped out of numerous nursing schools which is very convenient for a situation like this.

**

Stay neutral, don't complain or stand around belly-aching about it. Do your work to the best of your ability. Find out or wait to hear exactly what kind of OT requirements they are enacting. If these are not suitable for your situation, look for a new position. But you might find out that they are going to enact a minimal requirement for a specified time-frame--which is more likely to be a decision truly aimed at helping them get through a very difficult time.

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I realize it's my choice whether I want to continue working for them. I was just trying to get an idea if others were going through the same thing. I am doing my best to help out, but it's difficult to be stretched to the limit without adequate resources and staffing.

5 hours ago, macawake said:

I’m not sure but I think perhaps ”mandatory to” was supposed to be mandatory OT (overtime)?

I’m sorry OP, I’m European so I’m not familiar with labor laws in Florida and can’t help with your question. So I’ll just send a thought from a fellow nurse hoping that the surge you’re currently experiencing abates sooner rather than later.

Best wishes!

Thanks. I appreciate your support. I did mean to say overtime!

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1 minute ago, runner502 said:

I was just trying to get an idea if others were going through the same thing.

Every. Damn. Day.

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1 hour ago, runner502 said:

I realize it's my choice whether I want to continue working for them. I was just trying to get an idea if others were going through the same thing.

Yes. In some places. There are a variety of situations going on around the country. Some places it is downright crisis with many people working OT and working in positions/doing work somewhat outside of the specific position into which they were hired in order provide help to all the patients in need.

In some places there is not enough work for everyone and people are using up PTO, being furloughed...etc.

In some places all of the above and more has already happened.

Lots of very different scenarios.

Regardless of what is supposedly happening "in all hospitals all across the country" (which is a statement heard many times long before covid came along), I make judgments based on others' efforts and reasoning as they become obvious or available. For instance, crises do call for extraordinary measures; for everyone to give a little bit (or a lot) more. What doesn't work is when one group is supposed to give a lot more in order to mitigate others' losses or inconvenience. Working OT to get through a crisis is okay in and of itself--it's just what we have to do. Working protracted OT with no efforts to bring in additional help, without additional management efforts to curb/suspend the more bureaucratic aspects of patient care, while wearing broken-down re-sterilized "PPE," (or no recommended PPE), etc., etc....not okay IMO. Not making a bona fide attempt to enable and help the helpers is unacceptable and is suggestive of more than just legitimate crisis need.

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7 hours ago, Wuzzie said:

Every. Damn. Day.

Sorry you are suffering through this too!

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6 hours ago, JKL33 said:

Yes. In some places. There are a variety of situations going on around the country. Some places it is downright crisis with many people working OT and working in positions/doing work somewhat outside of the specific position into which they were hired in order provide help to all the patients in need.

In some places there is not enough work for everyone and people are using up PTO, being furloughed...etc.

In some places all of the above and more has already happened.

Lots of very different scenarios.

Regardless of what is supposedly happening "in all hospitals all across the country" (which is a statement heard many times long

Yes. There has been a bigger problem before this all started but with COVID it's really shining a light on the serious problems within the hospital and especially regarding the treatment of nurses. I am happy to have a job, but hoping that things will eventually get better or I will find a better opportunity.

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Specializes in NICU.

I work at the children's hospital, but get a weekly video of the CEO of the healthcare group (5 adult hospitals and 1 children's hospital). We are actually slow. The patients that are being hospitalized are younger with milder cases and are going home sooner than patients back in March/April.

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