NPs ever have to take call?

Trauma Columnist · Feb 1, 2012

Depends much on the setting: if you a hospitalist or working in the ICU, you usually do shiftwork - maybe no call. If you work in a clinic, sometimes yes, sometimes no.

I work in nephrology, I am on call 0700-1700 M-F and have call every 4th weekend from 0700-1900.

Editorial Team / Admin · Feb 1, 2012

I took 24 hour ED call while in a clinic. Like traumaRUS says, it all depends upon your setting.

Amanda.RN · Feb 1, 2012

In the primary care setting at the facility where I work, the NPs do not have to be on call. I'm sure this depends on the setting in which you're ultimately employed.

zenman · Feb 1, 2012

I'm a psych NP. When I worked in a community mental health clinic all of last year I was never on call. Now that I'm in a hospital I was on call just this last weekend...admitting patients as well as seeing consults from hospitalists and ED physicians.

BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN · Feb 1, 2012

Depends on the practice. In primary care I have been offered jobs that did expect some call and jobs that did not.

nursetim, NP · Feb 22, 2012

I took call from 1700-0730 for a week at a time until they found out what they paid my company, then the party was over.

Dixiecup · Mar 2, 2012

I work in a rural family clinic. we have about 12 providers so I have to take after hours call aabout every 3 months. It's not that big of a deal. most the time I only get a couple of calls and sometimes none! it's mostly send to the ER of shoulld I stop taking this med, I;ve got a rash and stuff like that.

Get paid a flat $100 for doing it for one week. I wish I go to do it more often, it's easy money!

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AtomicWoman · Mar 3, 2013

I work in primary care. I split call with 4 other providers (including 2 docs), so I wind up being on call 6 to 7 days per month. There's at least on Saturday and one Sunday on-call each month, plus my designated night of the week. Around here, primary care docs expect you to take call. "Taking call" consists of taking messages from the answering service and calling the patient back. We never go in to the office or the hospital. I still hate it for a whole lot of reasons. I am on call today, as a matter of fact. Weekend call hours are 9 AM to 9 AM the next day. Weeknight call hours are from the time the office closes until 9 AM the next day.

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 3, 2013

How many days on call would you consider equivalent to one workday? i.e. let's say you want to offer an exchange for a colleague, to cover for you in the clinic one weekend day while you take their days on call. How many days of call would be a fair exchange for one workday?

Trauma Columnist · Mar 3, 2013

Hmmmm. We don't exchange like that. We exchange call for call. Call is potluck, sometimes no calls, sometimes 30. Seeing ts you are guaranteed a full day.

nomadcrna, DNP, CRNA, NP · Mar 3, 2013

I take ER call one day per week at the hospital.