Memorial Day weekend night shift - canceled w/only 4hr notice?!

Published

I hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day Weekend!

I work in a home on Sat/Sun nights 11p-7a. I was already feeling a little left out because my friends went out of town for the weekend, but I was trying to make the best of it anyway... at 7pm on Saturday my agency calls and says that my patient is in the hospital and so I didn't have to go on Saturday night. I knew the patient had surgery scheduled for the previous Wednesday, and I was pretty sure they knew before 7pm on Saturday that he wouldn't be coming home from the hospital...

I was pretty upset because I felt I could have joined my friends for a Friday night-Sunday afternoon trip if I had been told earlier that the patient wasn't fit to come home by Saturday night. :mad: I called my mom to vent about it and she said I should be paid for that shift due to the late notice.

How does that typically work in the HH field? If a client cancels (ie in the hospital, even if it was scheduled), do you still get paid for that shift? If not, it seems a little unfair since you'd planned to work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think you will find that 4 hours is considered adequate notice..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

At least you got some notice. I've shown up for shifts and found out they were cancelled.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Did you still get paid for the shift?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in home health, neuro, palliative care.

I have worked intake, and I can tell you that we would often not get d/c notices until after 5pm the evening of discharge, especially on the weekend. There would be know way to let you know by Friday. As for whether you get paid for cancelled shifts, that would depend on your contract with the agency.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Four hours is considered sufficient notice. It stinks when you show up for a shift and another nurse shows up and s/he wins the battle for the shift. Or you arrive and the family sends you on your way. Or you are in the house for 15 minutes and the family sends you on your way. If you are scheduled to work and go to work, you are to be paid what is commonly called "show up" pay, which is usually two or four hours. It is also called "reporting time pay". Check with your labor board for the laws in your state.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health/PD.

Four hours is a lot of notice to me. Normally I don't get a call until I'm halfway to my pts house. Usually, if something like that would happen, we would get at least 4 hours of pay, but if we aren't told anything, then they would expect us to either suck it up or use PAL time. home care hours can be unpredictable sometimes, that just comes with the job!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I guess it does come with the job, although I kind of feel that should've been brought up during my office orientation... we talked about everything else!

Anyway, I emailed the HR lady at my agency and she said that that situation really stinks and she'd forward the email to the director of nursing. Hopefully it turns out that I get paid something, at least!

Thanks for the input, everyone, it's good to hear about how everything is supposed to work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion