overworked and exhausted

[melisgood]

I work on the telemetry floor. After every shift someone (if not multiple people) stay late after clocking out to finish paperwork. There is simply too much to do in one shift that on most days we can't cram in all the nursing

care and paperwork that is expected of us. I was recently written up for failing to complete an intake/output form on one of my patients and missing a few orders on patients I took care of. Of course I feel

horrible for failing to do what is expected of me at work. I was told if it happens again I will be suspended and then fired. I spoke with a couple seasoned nurses on my floor and asked for advice and they told

me to simply stay after my shift. I did just that the next day for fear of losing my job. I told my charge nurse that due to receiving two new admissions in the afternoon and all the paperwork associated with that I was going to be staying at least 45 minutes past my shift off the clock. We actually get written up if we clock out overtime without written permission from our charge nurse. This week I even saw a nurse on the phone with a doctor past clock out time. I ended up staying until 8:30 that night finishing up paperwork and was never offered to be approved for overtime. They frown on asking for overtime so I've given up on asking because no one

else does it so it looks bad to ask....as if I am failing to do what other nurses on my floor are able to do. What am I to do? Since others on my floor stay late I feel like I too should work for free, but end up being so tired and discouraged I am considering looking for work someplace else. I do not want to ruin my reputation as a nurse and I definitelydo not want to be fired! Any advice on this topic is greatly appreciated!!! And while I am willing to get help with my organizational and multitasking skills, I honestly do NOT think this is the problem and multiple nurses on my floor say they are just as discouraged and overwhelmed as I am. It is a well known fact that our floor is the busiest in the hospital.

Should I just bite the bullet and stay after my shift off the clock to finish paperwork? What would happen if I simply refused to clock out if I still had paperwork to do? Of course I would abide by the rules of telling the charge nurse an hour or two before the end of my shift how much overtime I thought I needed. If she tells me I should be able to get it all done in time (which is what usually has happened in the past), is there someway to document this and how long I ended up staying anyways to finish up my paperwork? I have only been approved for overtime I think twice and it was for only part of the time. In other words, I would say I had 30-45 minutes of work I needed to finish and I would be granted 15 or 20 after having to hear some comment about how overtime is frowned upon and how I should be charting as I go, etc. I would then clock out after the approved overtime, and stay off the clock to finish.

This problem is so bad, that some people even come before their shift to look up labs or review a chart or two and then clock in. If I leave work for the next shift to do (such as completing entering orders, adding up the intake/output sheet, changing IV fluids or tube feeding), the next nurse is upset with me and gives me a look like "what were you doing all day".

WHAT SHOULD I DO? ANYONE ELSE DEALING WITH THIS?!

[joechess]

If you are an hourly employee, it is reasonable to expect to be paid extra if you have to stay over your scheduled hours. Are you covered for liability for anything you do when you have punched out? I could be wrong, but I think that if mgt is aware of this happening, the hospital can be sued and fined for violating labor laws. Walmart got nailed for something similar a few years ago.

If you are worried about your reputation, do you you believe that if you consulted an attorney, that the attorney (who almost certainly has a doctoral degree [JD]), would fail to charge you for every hour s/he worked for you?

[l.a.m.b, ADN, RN]

since charting is part of your job, you must stay to chart and you should put it on your time card. one of the reasons is because should a problem arise and your charting is scrutinized, the time stamp is there and how would it look if you were to state "i charted on my time". meaning you were practicing nursing out of the clock. its a liability issue. if staying over is an everyday thing, then you need to reexamen what is the problem with your routine that is causing you to stay overtime? if its not organizational, fine. i knew a nurse that would spend hours talking and talking and then rack up hours later which is unacceptable. if its the acuity of the patients then u need to talk to the manager so that more staff is hired. i hate staying over but sometimes you have to. but make sure your reasons are valid and do it right. its no different than a nurse showing up for work 4 hours before her shift, passing meds and charting. that would look suspicious and is a liability for the hospital.

[melisgood]

What is a time stamp? We do paper charting and rarely do we chart as we go. We write what time something happened, not what time we are actually making the entry. Whoever stays over usually finishes up paperwork in the back. So, what should I do?

[79Tango]

Let someone else stay over and chart! That's what you should do....you never want to be working for "free" your setting yourself up for a double leg butt kick.

[workingspaz]

get out of there! does not sound like a nurse friendly organization if they are putting you and YOUR license at risk in this manner. sounds like you are trying to do the right thing, but loyalty like this, without recompense or consideration... been there, done that. miss the friends i made, but are much much MUCH happier in my new role in a new place.

[stefanyjoy]

Get out of there. Why are women-dominated fields always expected to work beyond their paid hours? Nurses, teachers.... It is just a disgusting level of disrespect.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

op: it sounds like a bad place to work. if i were you (and i was once... i worked a similar floor when i started as a new grad), i would be looking for a new job. in the meantime, follow the rules and do not complain. you will not change anything unless there is a union. the other nurses have accepted this practice and so you will do nothing but harm your chances in the future, such as leaving and being considered as a non-rehire. gl!

[cogath]

Unfortunately this is a very common practice where I work as a CNA. The managers actually LOATHE overtime and you can get written up for even a minute of overtime and have your name on the "wall of shame." However there is ony one nurse and a lot of patients so usually there is never enough time to do what is needed. Unfortunately a common practice is that the nurse punches out and then goes back to finish charting. I have never seen a nurse leave on time.

[tiroka03, LPN]

Lately, I have been looking at all the extra off the clock time I do in a week, and have been wondering if I could just work 1 1/2 easier jobs. One's where you can goof off a little, and actually take your breaks. We haven't seen a raise in 2 years, and min raise is raising. The acuity is backbreaking, and the work is unbelievable. There are people yelling and acting crazy. My supervisor actually took 4 chairs on wheels and just flug them, because she was upset at having to take a cart. I want out, but it's looking the same way every where else. But, I do enjoy being a nurse. But I am doing 3 peoples jobs. When will it calm down?

[ponytailman]

Do not understand why u think that these issues are your fault, if the job or worklevel requires paperwork to get done after shiftreport then so be it. It appears that by following the accepted norm that your co-workers and you enable management to pay you for 8 hours instead of 9,10 or whatever the shift took. As stated by a previous post, your options are do nothing, do nothing and look for other employment within hospital or out of it or maybe approach management about adding additional staff but on the last one i would not hold my breathe, good luck.

[NaKcl, BSN, RN]

Charting is your responsibility, so you need to complete it. but do not do it for free.

you work your behind off during the whole day, and commited to complete the charting is being loyal to your job. the unit manager should appreciate your work ethic.

sounds like you need to find some other place where they have more support system in the unit.

like many of nurses suggested here, you may need to look for different job.

OR,,,

talk to that manager that you are willing to transfer to different unit.

I bet she probably don't want you to leave.