What is the policy at your facility regarding per diem shift cancellation? At the hospital where I work, per diem staff will be the first to be called off when the census drops. I understand this, but what I don't think is fair, is being cancelled half-way through my shift. To be clear, I work an eight-hour shift, 3-11:30pm. I am called by staffing at 6pm and told that they will be cancelling me as of 7pm. Shifts at my facility are either 8's or 12's, and I sign-up for 8's. As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing worse than driving into work, taking a full assignment, an admission, getting all the documentation done, and then to be told you have to go home. This happened two days in a row. So frustrating...
I'd be interested to know if at your facility you can be cancelled for a portion of your shift, or if it is all of nothing. Also, do you per diem at more than one facility to patch-work hours together?
So no one mentioned... do you per diem at more than one facility so that you know after all the cxls you will have a certain number of hours? Do you find this approach works well?
Thanks!
I do PRN at two separate facilities. This makes it nice because sometimes the one facility has low census or starts canceling me alot, and then I'll just pick up more at the other hospital instead. One thing I have done to decrease my chances of being canceled is I have cross-trained ALOT. I used to just do adolescent and pediatrics. Now, I do adult med-surg, NICU, and will float to help out ER and step-down when they are in a bind. Thanks to cross-training, I only get canceled once every 3 months or so now. In fact, I tend to get called on my off days to see if I want to come in and work a certain floor.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Once in a while, I like getting cancelled or sent home early; it is like getting a snow day from school. When missing work gets too frequent, then the paychecks show it.
Per diem staff is not first in line for cancellation. First is full time staff on overtime, after that it is per diem, then regular staff.
There is a guarantee on hours for per diem staff. We need to work at least 12 hours in a pay period, so there is a limit on cancellation.
That is very unusual that there is a guarentee for any staff for hours.You are very lucky. Just curious, Did you sign a contract? Policies vary widely from facility to facility and how they have decided to govern cancellations and downsizing of staff. Usually it is the most expensive is the first to go. Just because someone is hired for X amount of hours is not a guarentee that you will get those hours. Even in a union setting are there "guarentees" for hours. You are very fortunate to have guarenteed time. Peace.
You are very fortunate to have guarenteed time. Peace.
ChristineN, BSN, RN
3,465 Posts
I do PRN at two separate facilities. This makes it nice because sometimes the one facility has low census or starts canceling me alot, and then I'll just pick up more at the other hospital instead. One thing I have done to decrease my chances of being canceled is I have cross-trained ALOT. I used to just do adolescent and pediatrics. Now, I do adult med-surg, NICU, and will float to help out ER and step-down when they are in a bind. Thanks to cross-training, I only get canceled once every 3 months or so now. In fact, I tend to get called on my off days to see if I want to come in and work a certain floor.