luvmyhubby

I'm ready for a job change - after three meetings with a company representative I am no further along in my wage debate than I was before we started. Bottom line, they have agreed to give us a 2% raise (after we have an empoyee review) which equals to an increase of a whopping $20.00 extra per each 2 week pay period and we "might" get a "bonus" (which I've been told is a gift card) after we fill out special paperwork for the holiday's and extra days we work.

Thank you for your input Ruthiegal. The more I think about it, the more difficult it is for me to continue on with my pay. I get paid for 40 hours per 2 week pay period and I put in an average of 40 hours during that pay period. However, I'm standing by, close to my computer and phone for the other 85.5 hours of my pay period and I don't get any compensation for it. Nor do I get compensated for working holidays, weekends, lost sleep during the night calls. It's not like I clock in and clock back out. I'm on-call for 125.5 hours during my on week. I LOVE it that this job allows me to be home with my son, yet on the flip side, I hate being stuck at home for an entire weekend plus 5 evenings from 1630 on and not getting compensated for that. I miss out on dinners, movies, church, family gatherings, outings with family friends and I don't get a penny for it. I worked Memorial Day, Good Friday, Easter, Labor Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, and now I'm working 4th of July and the Friday before the 4th because our new company gives the M-F crew the day off before/after the holiday if it falls on the weekend. And I don't get a penny for any of it. I don't get PTO, Insurance benifits. Nada! Just 40 hours/2 week pay period and actually, so far this year, I'm averaging slightly over 40 hours of "active" work. Am I wrong to feel like I'm being taken for granted?

BizNurse, during your working hours are you pretty much taking one call after another when you're on the clock? With my job, I'm "working" for a total of 125.5 hours during my on week but I only actually put in around 44 hours of active work - either on the phone or charting. The rest of the time I'm standing by. I'm getting the impression that most Triage nurses are working solid from the time they clock in. Can you clarify for me? This will help me. Thanks.

I found several posts from RNorBust. She pretty much works the same schedule I work. If anyone else works from home for home health and/or hospice please tell us about your work schedule and pay system. Thanks.

Than you so much for your input. I can totally relate to your stiffness! I put on my headset, prop my feet, and make sure I'm sitting with good back support before I start my Saturday. And you only get paid for the time on the phone and not for time charting or sitting close by the phone waiting for calls? Bummer. Wow. Like you said, though, it is a lot less stressful than ICU plus you get to be home. :) Thanks again.

I don't feel comfortable giving out the name of the company but I can say it is located in the northwest. Hope this helps.

I think I have found and read all the posts about triage pay. But none of them have helped me. I am an RN and work from home for a home health and hospice agency in the northwest. We've experienced a lot of great changes in our agency over the past year but the changes have caused the Triage work to become more demanding. I'm trying to find out if our pay is high, low, or average. I work from home and need to be close by my office during my working hours but (except for Saturdays 8-8 and Sundays 8-8) I don't get a continuous flow of calls. I work 7on/7off with my hours being from 1630 - 0800 m-th and Fri 1630- Mon 0800. The triage person also covers any holidays the office is closed (like this coming Good Friday). I average about 40 hours per week and 80 calls during a regular "on-week" with an average of 50 calls over Sat/Sun. One person mentioned they worked for hospice and worked 7on/7off but didn't explain how they are paid. Does any other triage nurse work hours like this? If so how are you paid? Salary? Hourly? Per call? other? We're paid salary for 40/week and our hourly pay is about the same as nursing home RN pay. Any info would be appreciated.

This is my wage/work week: I work week on/week off. During my "on-week" I'm at home close to my computer and phone from 1630-0830 m-th and from Friday 1630 - Monday 0830. Plus I cover the holiday's when they fall on my "on week". I put in an average of 40 hours during my "on week" with about 25 hours worked over the weekend. Plus I work any office closure that falls on my "on-week" which averages out to about 86hrs/month. Triage is paid salary which is about $2,000/month gross. We are tied to our home during our "on-call" time which comes to 125.5 hours a week. 2 1/2 years ago, when we first started the triage position, we were only working an average of 20 hours a week. Plus all patient data was downloaded daily onto lap tops that did not require interent service so we could virtually take calls anywhere. The extra 20 hours pay, we thought, was compensation for being close by the phone/computer for 125.5 hours a week and for lost sleep, holiday pay, etc.... Maybe we were spoiled then, but it sure is hard to work under these conditions now. This is my life as a teletriage nurse.

4-10 calls/hour? I wonder if that includes the time from 2000 - 0800? My on-call time starts on Friday at 1630 and goes until Monday 0800. I average around 50 calls during that time frame. Evenings (Mon- Thurs) I get between 2-6 calls from 1630 -0800.