On call for free?

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2007

I don't think I would do that, since you are not on the clock the facility could easily argue that what you give as advice is not their responsibility. On call and carrying a pager needs to be compensated in some way and you need to have that compensation in writing. Paid for each call, paid for the whole time, given hours of PTO for the time spent on call...etc.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2007

OP, are these nurses salaried vs hourly paid? That would put a different spin on it.

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2007

OP, are these nurses salaried vs hourly paid? That would put a different spin on it.

NO, hourly.

fultzymom · Mar 28, 2007

At my work each of the office RN's take a week a month for anything that is needed et for staffing issues. We only get paid for the time spent for staffing, making calls to get people in, ect. If they call about med questions, falls, ect. we are not paid for the time. It does kind of suck if it is a week that you get calls all night long, but it was part of the job when I took it so......what can be done about it? But in all honesty, the staffing is what takes up your time. If it is a question, you are usually on et off the phone within 5 minutes. Now, if they get a lot of admissions et I have to go in to help out with that, then you bet I clock in et get paid. Also, if there is no one nurse wise to come in if there is a call of et I have to go in then I also get paid for that. I hated it a first but I have just kind of gotten used to it.

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2007

At my work each of the office RN's take a week a month for anything that is needed et for staffing issues. We only get paid for the time spent for staffing, making calls to get people in, ect. If they call about med questions, falls, ect. we are not paid for the time. It does kind of suck if it is a week that you get calls all night long, but it was part of the job when I took it so......what can be done about it? But in all honesty, the staffing is what takes up your time. If it is a question, you are usually on et off the phone within 5 minutes. Now, if they get a lot of admissions et I have to go in to help out with that, then you bet I clock in et get paid. Also, if there is no one nurse wise to come in if there is a call of et I have to go in then I also get paid for that. I hated it a first but I have just kind of gotten used to it.

We have nothing to do with staffing, all our pages are of a medical nature... my issue is with not being on the clock while giving nsg advice

fultzymom · Mar 28, 2007

We have nothing to do with staffing, all our pages are of a medical nature... my issue is with not being on the clock while giving nsg advice

We also do that. I don't really have a problem with it. I knew it was part of the job when I took it. I am on call for falls, medication questions, just whatever they might have a problem with. I do not think it makes a difference whether I am actually there on the clock answering questions for them or at home answering the same questions at home if I have already left for the day. I guess it does not bother me because my advice is going to be the same at work or at home. It is just part of the responsibility of being in upper management. The DON is pretty much always on call for if we do not know what to do et she is not compensated for her time either. But as for salary vs hourly paid, I am hourly. The only one in my facility who is salary is the DON et the Administrator. All other office personal are hourly just like the floor nurses.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2007

I'd not do that kind of on call work as an hourly employee without being paid. I have done it as a salaried employee where I knew going in it was a piece of the job.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 28, 2007

If I am not on the clock, I am not obligated to my unit. I am an hourly worker, not salaried, for good reason. And I draw a definate line between work and home. I think this is something you should stop doing.

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2007

We also do that. I don't really have a problem with it. I knew it was part of the job when I took it. I am on call for falls, medication questions, just whatever they might have a problem with. I do not think it makes a difference whether I am actually there on the clock answering questions for them or at home answering the same questions at home if I have already left for the day. I guess it does not bother me because my advice is going to be the same at work or at home. It is just part of the responsibility of being in upper management. The DON is pretty much always on call for if we do not know what to do et she is not compensated for her time either. But as for salary vs hourly paid, I am hourly. The only one in my facility who is salary is the DON et the Administrator. All other office personal are hourly just like the floor nurses.

I am not in upper management, and I have no problem with it, except for the fact that it might not be kosher BON wise. Like , say , I field a call for a sore throat and cough. I say give tylenol, cough medicine, say. Then, it turns out it is a pneumonia , or something else bad. There is a lawsuit, whatever... am I considered an employee on duty even though I am not being compensated while I am giving this advice?

I understand 24 hour accountability for managers, sups, etc, but we are not supervisors, well, we have a DON, but the rest of us are not sin supervisory positions.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 28, 2007

Well the whole triage over the phone thing, as you point out, is dangerous. Increasingly large numbers of hospitals/HMOs are quitting the "ask a nurse" business for this reason. Best be really careful about triaging and esp, making diagnoses and treatments over the phone. You may indeed have a legal issue coming at you full-speed. I would very uncomfortable doing this, as you seem to be. Personally, I would not do it.

And like it or not, you are working for free taking on such a huge legal liability. Not good.

Good luck.

fultzymom · Mar 28, 2007

I am not in upper management, and I have no problem with it, except for the fact that it might not be kosher BON wise. Like , say , I field a call for a sore throat and cough. I say give tylenol, cough medicine, say. Then, it turns out it is a pneumonia , or something else bad. There is a lawsuit, whatever... am I considered an employee on duty even though I am not being compensated while I am giving this advice?
I understand 24 hour accountability for managers, sups, etc, but we are not supervisors, well, we have a DON, but the rest of us are not sin supervisory positions.

If I worked the floor et was not in upper management, I would be telling them to get someone else on call. They should be asking the doctor questions for what to do in situations such as you described, not a nurse. At my facility, we have standing orders for what actions to take in certain situations. I would say that you would be covered since you are on call but how could you even make an acurate educated guess like that without actually being there et assessing the patient yourself? Plus, you are not responsible for making those kind of calls, that should be the PCP they are calling for things of that nature. I thought you were talking like who they call to notify for falls, resident-to-resident conflicts, family situations that might come up in the off hours, et things of that nature. If someone called et asked me something like that I would tell them to assess the patient et call the doctor about what to do. We can't make judgements like that, especially when we are not there.