On-Call Pay Survey

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey everybody, I work in a Cardiac Cath Lab in central Florida. I am on call this weekend :-( . I wanted to ride my bike up to the gym but really can't, it would take me a bit longer than the required thirty minutes to get to the hospital if I were called in. So I guess I have to drive. At our lab we get $2 an hour for call pay. That seems crazy low to me for the sacrifices: no drinking, have to be ready to bolt out the door in a moments notice, cant really go anywhere and have to have the phone on you at all times.

Anyway, just curious what other on-callers are getting per hour? Also if we get called in we get time and a half for call back pay.

Thx-Dan

Specializes in Pedi.

When I worked in the hospital, we briefly had an "on-call" nurse for the weekend shifts only and they could only be called in in the event of a call out. We were paid $5.50 an hour for 2 hours per day.

In my current job, I make $75/day for weekends on call. Evening is $25.

Specializes in Acute care, Community Med, SANE, ASC.

$2/hr for on call as a SANE nurse.

Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
WOW! big range in there. I didn't see anyone below $2/hr which is where Im at, many were above $5. Like another poster in Rose Queen's thread our lab has been at $2 for over 15 years. That seems crazy to me, 15 or 20 years ago $2 an hour was something. The stress of spending 72 hours (weekend call is fr,sat,sun) within 3 feet of my phone at all times knowing it will go off at least once, probably twice at all hours is not worth it to me.

Yeah, that would be hard to swallow. It's one thing when you're planning to work anyway, but then the unit is overstaffed and other units don't need an ICU RN to float...so you get put on call for admits. It's another to sacrifice an entire weekend for $2/hr, or for FREE. (I didn't know that one COULD be put on call with no pay. I didn't think that was legal.)

Specializes in MICU - CCRN, IR, Vascular Surgery.
Lennonninja - how did staff react to the cancelation of call pay? I imagine we would have a lot of people quit. What was the hospitals rationalization, cost savings?

It was part of a huge cost saving thing along with layoffs. They eliminated on call pay, charge nurse pay, weekend option pay, and laid off approximately 900+ people from the whole corporation. None of it was well received.

(I didn't know that one COULD be put on call with no pay. I didn't think that was legal.)

When I looked into it because our work tried to get rid of call pay, I believe (and not a lawyer, but how I interpreted the Dept of Labor regulations for my state) was that you can be voluntarily on call with no pay, but if you're required to be on call, they have to pay you SOMETHING. So $2/hr it is for us. Which for us stops as soon as you clock in and then you get your regular pay.

Oh I remember the days of real on call pay. With travel time and time and a half when you were actually working during it. Those were the days. Then the "nursing shortage" happened and everyone and their grandpa wanted to be a nurse and we became worth a full $2/hr.

We don't get anything for being on call. Typically it's someone who wants the day off anyway, so being on call increases their chances of being off so they're okay with it. Also the call time is usually just the first 4 hours of the shift.

  • In Canada regardless of position the Employment Standards Act mandates that for every 3 hours of call without being called in you are payed for one hour of work at your base rate.

$2 pet hour. Two hours minimum pay for a call in. I agee it is very low and for me not worth it. I switched jobs to a new job without call.

Specializes in school nurse.
$2/hr for on call as a SANE nurse.

How much if you're insane?

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