On Call Questions

[pa_rn2012]

I'm trying to figure out if being a 7 on 7 off on call hospice nurse would benefit me more than being an RNCM and I have a ton of questions.  Right now as an RNCM we get paid salary for our work week and then extra for just being on-call and we get paid mileage reimbursement, and additional money for admissions, routine, and death visits when we're on-call.  I am confused as to whether I'd be getting paid more, less, or equally as much being full time on-call instead. It definitely seems like a better work life balance and I like the fact of having a whole week off, but would this be like a nightshift job where I have to stay up all night and sleep during the day or could I go to bed like a normal person and then just get woken up like I do now? How exhausting is it to do it that way?  Do the nurses that do this job also have a 2nd job to make up for a lesser paycheck?  On-call would be during after business hours and on weekends.  I don't think there's a backup person and I think I'd be triaging and doing the visits, unless I'm wrong. Is that too much to be doing; should there be a back up and triage nurse as well?  Do you still get all the additional money if you're on-call if you have to go out? Is there extra money called for the triage part of on-call? Is there a certain flat rate that you are paid or is it a special on-call rate? Do you still get paid mileage? Are there any additional benefits to being an 7 on 7 off nurse besides having an entire week off and does that truly happen or do you still have times when the company will call you into work on your weeks off?  Are there negatives that I should be aware of? A lot of nurses seem to rave about doing this instead of being an RNCM. Thanks for the input in advance!

[ShesanRN2010]

I currently work as salaried, weekend on-call, never have to do manage my own triage calls, get paid door-to-door mileage. My hours are 430p Friday to 8a Monday, straight through, every weekend. Our triage nurses work 7 on, 7 off; one has a PRN job on the off-week, the other one does not. When we had enough patients to give me a weekend partner RN, she had worked as both weekend triage and on-call at the same time and said it super-sucked, would never do again nor recommend.

[Peachpit]

On 4/3/2021 at 5:40 PM, pa_rn2012 said:

I'm trying to figure out if being a 7 on 7 off on call hospice nurse would benefit me more than being an RNCM and I have a ton of questions.  Right now as an RNCM we get paid salary for our work week and then extra for just being on-call and we get paid mileage reimbursement, and additional money for admissions, routine, and death visits when we're on-call.  I am confused as to whether I'd be getting paid more, less, or equally as much being full time on-call instead. It definitely seems like a better work life balance and I like the fact of having a whole week off, but would this be like a nightshift job where I have to stay up all night and sleep during the day or could I go to bed like a normal person and then just get woken up like I do now? How exhausting is it to do it that way?  Do the nurses that do this job also have a 2nd job to make up for a lesser paycheck?  On-call would be during after business hours and on weekends.  I don't think there's a backup person and I think I'd be triaging and doing the visits, unless I'm wrong. Is that too much to be doing; should there be a back up and triage nurse as well?  Do you still get all the additional money if you're on-call if you have to go out? Is there extra money called for the triage part of on-call? Is there a certain flat rate that you are paid or is it a special on-call rate? Do you still get paid mileage? Are there any additional benefits to being an 7 on 7 off nurse besides having an entire week off and does that truly happen or do you still have times when the company will call you into work on your weeks off?  Are there negatives that I should be aware of? A lot of nurses seem to rave about doing this instead of being an RNCM. Thanks for the input in advance!

Did you take the on call position? If so, how do you like it?