RUNNNNN!!

caliotter3 · Aug 27, 2010

Feast or famine. I can go for weeks or months with no work at all.

Lacie, BSN, RN · Aug 27, 2010

Feast or famine. I can go for weeks or months with no work at all.

Very true. I'll have Nurses begging for pts one week then the next they can be slammed and trying to find coverage because they have over 12unit for the day. Definitely Feast or Famine!!!!! I just had a load of discharges then yesterday got hit to dish out 6 same day starts (4 of them wound care). I have 2 FT RN, one PT LPN on my team. One Doc of 5 of those SOC's prefers only one particular nurse of my team work with her pts on top of it and is selective of what RPT is utilized also. Cant say much she's also our medical director. Last week they were short on units this week they are overwhelmed with units. I've been an RN long long time and tell ya - what I see in HHC as a bad day is better than any good day anywhere else I've been (well except when I worked Burns as we just dont have a level 1 here so no Burn Unit or that's where I would be). In all honesty I love what I do now, and yes even though I am a CLM I hit the field alot myself and take call too. If my nurses cant get coverage to lighten thier load, I go do the visit/pw. I also will help by doing thier transfers and f/u calls to the MD's etc. Sometimes they look forward to a little down time, so I advise them to maintain some of thier Vacation time in thier bank for those times also if finances is a big issue for them so they have something to fall back on for hopefully a short term issue.

berube · Aug 28, 2010

Very true. I'll have Nurses begging for pts one week then the next they can be slammed and trying to find coverage because they have over 12unit for the day. Definitely Feast or Famine!!!!! I just had a load of discharges then yesterday got hit to dish out 6 same day starts (4 of them wound care). I have 2 FT RN, one PT LPN on my team. One Doc of 5 of those SOC's prefers only one particular nurse of my team work with her pts on top of it and is selective of what RPT is utilized also. Cant say much she's also our medical director. Last week they were short on units this week they are overwhelmed with units. I've been an RN long long time and tell ya - what I see in HHC as a bad day is better than any good day anywhere else I've been (well except when I worked Burns as we just dont have a level 1 here so no Burn Unit or that's where I would be). In all honesty I love what I do now, and yes even though I am a CLM I hit the field alot myself and take call too. If my nurses cant get coverage to lighten thier load, I go do the visit/pw. I also will help by doing thier transfers and f/u calls to the MD's etc. Sometimes they look forward to a little down time, so I advise them to maintain some of thier Vacation time in thier bank for those times also if finances is a big issue for them so they have something to fall back on for hopefully a short term issue.

wish i had amanager like you!!! ours never ever make a visit to help out, they put anything that can't be covered onto the on call nurse at night, who is a nurse that has already worked her shift,!!! mess, mess mess! and all they say is "oh well".

Lacie, BSN, RN · Aug 28, 2010

I have always been a staff oriented manager and wouldnt ask anyone to do something I wouldnt do myself. I also have not only the field nurses but manage the PT/OT for my team as we dont have a rehab manager. If they have only one ultrasound or anodyne and it needs to go from one end of the county to the other - I'll take it between them in my vehicle. I also give a small gift (this week it was a bottle of wine) to who I felt did something exceptional or had thier paperwork/DVR's in on time, and a $5.00 gift card to the local 7-11's when on the road to stop and grab a drink or coffee. Something to show I appreciate everything they do also. In turn they go out of thier way to help me when I need it. I dont understand how it can be so painful for some to just say "thank you" now and then at least to the staff. They deserve it. My last job which I quit last year for X-mas I bought all the gals(8) new purses that I thought fit thier personality, a jar of the burt's bee's body butter, lip protector, gold bond hand lotion and a basket of goodies. Believe me I am a great bargain shopper for the good stuff and hit ebay alot too lol. I always looked at it this way "Anyone can be a manager, but not just anybody can be a Leader". I like to be a leader and a good one that retains her staff! Next weekend we've managed to get us all together for me to treat them to dinner with the main rule of "NO WORK TALK" just fun lol. I already volunteered to do take the week call for this X-mas so others could be with thier families. My kids are grown and I'm single (yet happy) so it's not a big deal. I'd rather have New Year's myself off anyway lol.

hawkfdc · Aug 30, 2010

I discussed with my company owner the other day about going full time, but I think I'm going to stay PRN. I pull a full schedule but as PRN I can say no at any time.

Lacie, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2010

I discussed with my company owner the other day about going full time, but I think I'm going to stay PRN. I pull a full schedule but as PRN I can say no at any time.

Fulltimes can say no with my office if they hit thier units for the week. They are not required to take on the extra unless they agree to do so. Then I have to find who is short on units on another team to cover and IF they will accept it. If you are short on units and say no then we have an issue. I usually do the call (yeah I know managers dont do them generally) if I can rather than hear all the BS that follows. Sometimes you learn to pick your battles and that's one I dont like to hear too often lol. Our Clinical Director does alot of them herself particularly on the weekends which was a real shocker to me to discover. Not many Directors volunteer thierselves like that almost every weekend to help out the on-call nurse but she does.