NurseWillow

Yeah, it's LTC. It is now 2:30ish in the am. I popped in my office here to check for messages. I just got another call from a 6am nurse not coming to work. I'm expected to work that shift also even though I will have worked over 8 tonight already. I am having to argue myself out of handing in my notice when my DON comes in. My DON and ADON knew the situation here this weekend (we suspended two nurses) and were fully aware of the shifts needing covering but neither one called or cared enough to come help. This a.m. they'll both be brimming over with sickening empathy for the "rough" weekend I've had. I wonder if I could get "justifiable homicide"? lol I just need to go back to being a floor nurse and let someone else be dumb enough to pull this on-call crap. I'm burnt out... not to mention the pile of MDS's undone on my desk. Corporate won't care that I was on-call, they want these MDS's done on time. ack!! Thanks for the replies! :)

Hey guys, quick question. I'm an LVN and part of the management team at my facility. This means taking a week of on-call every 6 weeks. Basically, if a nurse calls in, we have to cover the shift or work it. This week alone I have put in 67 hours at the facility including 18 hours on July 4th. There is no compensation for being on call other than the unavoidable overtime you end up working. You get nothing for the time you're awakened in the wee hours of the night with questions from the floor nurses or them calling to report patient status changes. You get called for every CNA, CMA or nurse who calls in. I get called when they run short of linen or can't find a patient's med's. It's truly nuts. I get to work again tonight because we're short a nurse. I'm exhausted and frustrated. Wondering if any other on call nurses get extra pay or compensation for being on call? Anything for on call holidays?

Thank you all so much. I think I can pull this off now. I just needed some ideas on wording for my Careplan. We have some really sweet residents who are very attached to their "babies". We have to remind them to put the "babies" down for a nap at meal time or they fuss over them to much to eat. I even have found little bits of meals snuck into pockets for the "baby" to eat. It's amazing how they care for these dolls. Thanks again for the input. ~Willow

Hi all. I know if you have been in LTC before you have noticed some of our geriatric patients with beloved dolls. Usually there are only a few of them. Recently, however, someone donated multiple dolls and to cover us, my DON asked me to careplan the dolls as doll therapy. Apparently, some people might see the dolls as degrading or insulting to the residents. I am so clueless as to how to begin. Any suggestions? They do seem to calm our dementia patients. :heartbeat Thanks in advance ~Willow