OR RN Schedule

WhoDatWhoDare, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2016

You'll want to ask the people who you interviewed with for clarification on what "call" means specifically at your facility, but generally speaking, being on call doesn't mean you'll work an additional 8 hour shift... it could be you stay late to finish cases one day, or get called back in the middle of the night for an emergent case, or even come in to do a transplant case, if your facility does these...

Working more than 12 hours on a Saturday or staying an extra 4 hours after a 10 hour shift because of a bunch of cases when beyond their expected time on call has happened to me in the past. Other times I wasn't called back in. Part of the #ORLIFE.

Congrats and good luck.

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 15, 2016

Yep, it basically means for those 8 hours you might spend some of it working or you might spend it waiting by the phone. And I'd love to only be responsible for 8 shifts in 10 weeks! I average between 64 and 120 hours of on call per two week pay period.

In my facility, the vast majority of call hours spent working is finishing up cases that are running. Some of the time it's being called in for emergencies- appys, fracture management, ex laps, bleeding tonsils, tight left main (widow maker) MI, things like that. We're also a trauma center, so we can also get called in for traumas. We do staff a team in house at all hours to start the traumas, but if they're in a case, another team has to come in to staff potential second traumas/emergencies.

Have I spent all of a call shift working? You betcha! And my call shifts aren't 8 hours; they're 16. I did my scheduled shift, stayed late to finish the late-running scheduled case, and then, while in the locker room changing to go home, got notified of an emergency. So, started the emergency and got relieved the following morning when the rest of the staff showed up for the scheduled shift. That's only happened once.

But, it's also going to be very dependent on the facility- is it a trauma facility? transplant facility? staffed 24/7? Definitely things you want to verify with your supervisor.

missfoxrn · Nov 16, 2016

Thanks to both of you for the info... They are a level 1 trauma facility in Phoenix and I believe they do transplants as well. Like I said it was only discussed briefly during the interview and I'm used to the standard 3 12s so this was all new to me and all I remember is that people are scheduled 6:30-3 and 3-11 (something like that) and then I think people do evening call 11-7 and weekend call so that people are available 24/7. I'm just trying to figure out how it will all work out... I guess I'll find out in a couple weeks :)

Wolf at the Door, BSN · Nov 30, 2016

Oh geez chalk it up as lesson learned. I myself am looking at switching into procedural nursing or OR nursing. I always hound the manager about the call requirement for weekends and weeknights...I turned down a job two weeks ago because the call requirement wanted me to stay awake for 74 hours straight (Friday 6am-Monday8am), I can't do that. I stay by myself and have no one to wake me if my pager goes off. I can't function and I have a pet. I would like to do something else other than ICU but, that kind of life is not going to work for me. I am starting to see that and I am now thinking about Peds, if I can't find a reasonable call requirement.

PaulBaxter · Nov 30, 2016

I average between 64 and 120 hours of on call per two week pay period.

You what??!!!??

I'm starting my OR job in February, and I've been idly wondering about call schedule, but honestly I don't care that much. I know I won't be taking call until I at least finish initial training, plus I'm looking forward to the extra money. I know how much I'll get paid for on call time, and the unit manager assured me that staff members can trade call time with each other.

As long as I can once in a while get some time off, I should be good.

(There's some weird part of me looking forward to that first middle of the night call.)

Wolf at the Door, BSN · Nov 30, 2016

You what??!!!??
plus I'm looking forward to the extra money. I know how much I'll get paid for on call time, and the unit manager assured me that staff members can trade call time with each other.

It appears your in NC. What is the call pay you are looking forward too? I find it demeaning they pay nurses 1.50 at HCA to 10 dollars to be put on call. Not worth my sleep. Several hospitals in California give you have your pay to be on call so we talking about mid 30's or 40's for some RN's...That makes being on call more tolerable.

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 1, 2016

You what??!!!??

Yep. You read that right. I'm part of a small specialty team, and we cover all of our own call. Our shifts are 16 hours M-Th (end of shift to beginning of next) and end of shift Friday to beginning of shift Monday (total of 64 hours straight on call). I get paid a whopping $2/hour when I'm on call but not working (time and a half for a minimum of 2 hours when called in/staying late).

In addition to those call shifts, we have the "loser list". These people are on call for 2 hours following the end of the shift. They stay late if we have two cardiac ORs running beyond first shift and can be called back during those 2 hours if the primary call team is working and another emergency comes up.

So, my call schedule for last week and this:

Call Sunday (finishing my weekend)- 24 hours

Loser list Tuesday- 2 hours

Call Thursday (Thanksgiving as my holiday)- 24 hours

Loser list Friday- 2 hours

Call Monday- 16 hours

Loser list Tuesday- 2 hours

Call today- 16 hours

This coming Friday loser list- 2 hours

Total: 88 hours. And that's just with one weekend day. When that weekend falls in the same pay period, that number would be 120 (changing the holiday 24 hours to a regular day of 16 hours). Sometimes it's less, sometimes it's more. I have to take the same amount of call per 4 week schedule, so if I have days off or a vacation, I have to squeeze those call shifts into fewer working days. Of course, we all knew at the interview that the call requirements were crazy. And several people have turned down a job offer after hearing it. Don't blame them.

Our main OR is a lot different- 8 hours of call per week is the requirement and sometimes they don't even need to cover that because there are so many of them.

PaulBaxter · Dec 7, 2016

It appears your in NC. What is the call pay you are looking forward too? I find it demeaning they pay nurses 1.50 at HCA to 10 dollars to be put on call. Not worth my sleep. Several hospitals in California give you have your pay to be on call so we talking about mid 30's or 40's for some RN's...That makes being on call more tolerable.

I think they said $3 for on call time. It isn't much, but there are lots of jobs out there that don't pay anything for being on call, so I just think of it as a bonus.

PaulBaxter · Dec 7, 2016

Rose_Queen,

Well, I did get into this with the hope of making some money with overtime pay. I think medical resident hours would be a bit excessive though. At least for me. I like to sleep sometimes.

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 8, 2016

Rose_Queen,
Well, I did get into this with the hope of making some money with overtime pay. I think medical resident hours would be a bit excessive though. At least for me. I like to sleep sometimes.

Well, most of my call back time is spent finishing the scheduled cases- we don't have a second shift cardiac team. Sometimes it's only 30 minutes (the minimum to get paid for 2 hours), sometimes it's the full two hour minimum, sometimes it's longer. Honestly, the number of times I've been called out of bed is probably only 2-3 times a year. I have no problem falling asleep- I have a very special ring tone for my work that is guaranteed to wake the dead. I don't have to worry about the phone ringing and me sleeping through it.