Nurses General Nursing
Published Jun 5, 2007
miche18
11 Posts
can some one please tell me if it is legal for a manager to make RN work first shift, and come back for Mid-8am. I'm protesting it, but before I do I want to know if it is legal.
morte, LPN, LVN
7,015 Posts
where i work there has to be a minimum of 8 hours...check with the labor board in your area.......and if you are union, check with them
bigsyis
519 Posts
Any place I've ever worked that is what was required. However, it is rare that this is something that is scheduled regularly. Usually it is to get through a bind in scheduling.
caroladybelle, BSN, RN
5,486 Posts
It really is not all that unusual.
States rarely legislate those things. And if they do, it is something like, working no more than 20 out of 24 hours. Or requiring an 8 break after 12-16 hour shifts, etc.
Given that there are nurses that have baylors that they work two 0630 - 2300 shifts each weekend, I doubt that legislative regs would be very strict on two 8 hour shifts separated by one.
A better option is see what the facility or union regs say. And let the person that scheduled you for this set of hours, that you do not feel safe working them, preferably not to do it again.
mom and nurse
513 Posts
Legal or not. How can someone with a conscience schedule another human being to work such a schedule....
neneRN, BSN, RN
642 Posts
Your facility should have a policy...we have to have 8 hours off between shifts and cannot work more than 16 hours in a 24 hour period. So, technically they probably can ask you to do this, but a good manager wouldn't expect you to do this.
Daytonite, BSN, RN
1 Article; 14,604 Posts
I doubt that it's illegal. If your facility defines it's next workday as starting at midnight, then technically, by it's own facility procedures, the Mid-8am shift is the next day. However, no one can "make" anyone do anything. I would discuss this with the manager and mention that it only gives you 16 hours to get ready from the last shift you worked. An alternative would be to trade the day with someone. When I was a night shift supervisor we would get requests from the staff asking to be given a day off if we could find a prn nurse who could work for them or if the acuity was low and we could give them a vacation day and float another nurse to their unit.
berniemcr
38 Posts
Where I work it's the same as previously stated - no more than 16 hours in 24, unless there is an emergency--ie heavy snowstorm, then you work 16 on 4 off 16 on etc. You do get paid for the 4 hours you sleep though.
RNsRWe, ASN, RN
3 Articles; 10,428 Posts
I guess I'm missing something. You say "first shift" and the heading of the thread says "7:30 am to 4pm". Ok. And then you're due back in "mid 8am" (does this mean 8am, 8:30 am?). Which to me means the next day, so what's the problem?
Or do you mean you worked the day shift, and are supposed to come back at 8 PM? If so, for how long?
All_Smiles_RN
527 Posts
I doubt it's illegal, but it seems ridiculus to me. In most instances, I would not work 1st shift and come back for 3rd shift the same day. If my manager asked me to do it as a one time thing in a real pinch, I may be able to do it. But if I was just scheduled that way without asking me, no way. There's so many nursing jobs that offer self scheduling...
Ortho_RN
1,037 Posts
Our hospital, if you work day shift, then if the night shift has holes days is required to cover it... so your schedule can be all mixed up... They do it since working day shift is a priveledge
purple1953reading
132 Posts
I used to drive an hour to work and have to be there at 6:45 am or pm,depending on schedule for 12 hours shifts, The DON decided to change regular 12 hours shifts to 8 hours shifts on holidays, so there would be three shifts instead of two. We worked to 7:15 am or pm. One Thanksgiving I was scheduled to work 6:45pm. to 7:15 am, and then to come back at 2:45 pm to work till 11:15pm I said NO, in addition to the fact that I would only have 7 1/2 hours between shifts, I had to drive onehour home and onehour back, making the driving dangerous, and the sleep time less than 4 hours by the time I got home, in bed, got up and dressed again. the Assistnt. DON said it was not good scheduling, and took me off, and I was charge nurse. Besides, there were hardly any patients anyway.
We also had a prn nurse who worked at a nursing home 12 hours shifts, and then came to the hospital and worked another 12 and if she wasn't on at the nursing home, she worked home health. I would refuse to call her to come in if a nurse called in as the alternate if she had worked 12 hours at the nursinghome. BESIDES is why.