Need your policy on CANCELLATION

[jsmebnme1]

I am attempting to persuade our facility to change there current policy on canceling nurses. Currently, they only pay straight pay if called back in to work. (This is when you are cancelled for the first 8 hours of your shift then told to come in for the remaining four hours at regular pay).

I know that most hospitals pay "on call" pay or time and half and even double time when the nurse is told to come in after being cancelled for the first 8 hours.

Can any of you send me your current policy on this? Something that I can show Administration that backs up my letter requesting them to revise current policy.

Thank you

[EmmaG, RN]

Good luck. I'm betting they would rather work the unit short rather than pay what you suggest.

Our hospital would either allow you to be called off or put on call. Called off meant you were off, period. Unless through the kindness of your heart you agreed to come in if needed, it wasn't required to do so. And if you did, no extra pay.

On call meant $2 an hour for the time you were on call, IF (and only if) you were called in. Then you were paid your regular wages from the time you were called to come in. If you agreed to be on call, and then spent the entire day (or night) listening for the phone to ring and it never did--- oh well. Your loss.

Needless to say, very few would ever accept to be on call.

[EmmaG, RN]

BTW, we only called people off one 8 hour shift at a time. No guarantees you had the other 4 off. (or if a 7p shift, the call-off could be for just 7-11p). Unless told otherwise, you were expected to work the remainder of your shift as scheduled.

[cannoli]

We weren't given a choice, just put on call.

No on call pay.

Sometimes we would even be canceled after driving all the way into work, with no compensation.

Wonder why there is a shortage of workers?

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

We are either cancelled or on call. If we are cancelled, then are cancelled. If we are on call, we get the $2/hr, and call back pay if we get called back in. Even if I get called off at 5am, then called back in at 7am, I still get the whole day as call back pay.

[hikernurse]

BTW, we only called people off one 8 hour shift at a time. No guarantees you had the other 4 off. (or if a 7p shift, the call-off could be for just 7-11p). Unless told otherwise, you were expected to work the remainder of your shift as scheduled.

That's our policy, too, except sometimes we're only called off for the first hour hours.

[nursingisworkRN]

My hospital just changed the policy. When you are cancelled, then you are cancelled. If you are on standby, then you are on call (could be for 4, 8, or 12 hours). Cancelled=no pay, and standby is something like $7/hr and then time and a half if you get called in. They used to cancel for 4 or 8 hours, but I believe they could not consider a nurse "on call" if they weren't paid. I have been on standby for 8 hours, and then cancelled for the remaining 4. This is better than being cancelled for 8 and then called in for time and a half for 4 hours (I would rather not). Hope it helps!

[jsmebnme1]

Thanks for all your replies about your cancellation policies. What I need though is a copy of actual policies for your facility that show that your cancellation policy. I need these to present to Administration to back my claims that most hospitals do pay at least time and a half when called back in.

You can email this to me if you like.

Thank you

[pkapple]

Never got time and a half for coming in, we did get on call or standby pay and then regular pay if we came in to work.This usually occurred due to low census--but we usually had a list of nurses wanting the time off!

The exception s were the traditional on call type jobs, nights/weekends in the OR or PACU. Then it was a whole preset pay scale--callback pay,

certain number of hours minimum, extra time off if worked all night etc.