Question about call

[guest940422]

OK so I've had several jobs where I've been on call. When I interviewed for this radiology position I was told I would be on radiology call which is from 7a-11p... no sweat! Now I'm 3 weeks into orientation and I find out they moved me to specials call because someone had to switch and seniority and what not. I get it, I'm the new guy, I knew call till 11 was to good to be true. But specials call is a 24 hour call once a week. We are a stroke center and if there is a stroke they call in specials. You have 30 min from when the pager goes off to when you walk into the ER for a stroke call.

Problem: Every job I have ever had where I have been on call has never required a pager... they physically call me. So I have a loud ring tone and they just keep calling till I wake up.

I can and have slept through a fire alarm... I'm a hard sleeper... I really do not want that pager to go off and me sleep through it and not show up.

Idea: I have no kids, no real social life when I'm on call, and as stated before I can sleep anywhere. What if I just slept at work when I'm on call to ensure this doesn't happen.

Concern: We have 28 employees in my department and I'm the new guy. Will suggesting this to my boss/ following through with the plan

A)make me look like a kiss ass to my co-workers?

and/or

B)make me look irresponsible or crazy?

If this is a bad idea... any suggestions for making sure I wake up to the pager?

[greener22, BSN, MSN, RN]

I have worked with staff who had to sleep to the hospital when in call as they lived too far away to make the 30 minutes response time. If your manager doesn’t have a problem with it, it sounds good. But how will you be anymore able to hear your phone when asleep at hospital? I guess you could pay a night staff in the ED or supervisor to come physically wake you up?