Operating room call to cover staff on leave

[ORRN1020]

I work at a hospital in the OR where many shifts have recently become available due to MANY nurses taking leave. These shifts were posted for staff to voluntarily sign up. A new guideline was recently introduced, stating that staff who do not sign up for call during the designated period will be assigned any remaining shifts to meet department needs. Since I hadn't volunteered, I was assigned to some of these shifts. However, I'm unable to take on extra shifts due to my second job and family commitments.

 

Am I in the wrong for questioning why should the staff who are consistently showing up to work and fulfilling their regular call duties be responsible for covering these additional shifts, especially when the hospital knew well in advance about the nurses' time off?”

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

This is pretty much standard in every OR I've worked in. The call needs covered regardless of whether people are on leave or not. My current facility publishes the list of who's up next for an assigned call if there aren't volunteers in our regular updates. 

The employer is not responsible for balancing your schedule requirements with them in consideration of another employer. Their responsibility is to make sure the call is covered through whatever guidelines they establish and uphold. They also aren't going to bring in agency staff just to cover call.

It will be up to you whether you can make this work in the short term until people return from leave or if it is a hill you're willing to die on and move on to somewhere else. If you choose to stay, you now know it is to your benefit to volunteer for some of those shifts so they fall into where it will work in your schedule.

[RickyRescueRN, BSN, RN]

At my hospital, when call opens up for all the service lines, it is picked up by most staff. Any slots that are not taken, are then mandated to those who didn't pick up any call and then in reverse seniority until all the call is allocated. Call is a given in most ORs (unless its a surgery center) and something I am sure you were aware of when you took the job, Your primary employer will not take into consideration your other job or family commitments etc as it is their priority to staff the operation for RN coverage.  It's always best to pick up call when it opens so that you get the call shifts that work for your schedule /lifestyle . Failing to do so inevitably results in one getting the junk that no one else wants (and for good reason) .