Overnight On Call

[JNF RN]

I work on call overnights from 5pm to 8 am the next day. I am paid regular time from 5p to 3a and over time if I go out after 3am. This makes for a very long day at times. Even if you don't get a large number of calls you don't really get good REM sleep and what you do get is often broken up by calls and or visits. Being in a rural area the distance to make a call can be great and driving fatigue is a problem. How does your company handle the overnight on call?

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Home health?? Hospice??

I used to work nights in a Pedi hospital, and on my off-nights I took call for a Pedi clinic. I treated my on-call nights as a work night. Just planned to stay up all night and sleep the next day.

[JNF RN]

I work in Hospice. I have tried to treat off nights like work nights but it usually does not work. I have nine hours between shifts and you have to take care of business sometimes during the day. They have talked about cutting our shifts back to 12 hours rather that 15. I have to drive 250+ miles many nights. That being said I love hospice and want to help our patients. I'd like to hear about other agencies handle their on call hours.:):)