Salary - is it normal to work 60 plus hours a week?

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Sep 1, 2012

A few questions: what is a DCE? Director of clinical education? Depending on the size of your building, combining those 2 jobs might be doable. Talk to your DON....maybe she's clueless about the amount of work you have.Your commuting time and parenthood really have nothing to do with the job and everything to do with you. The facility is not responsible for either.

adamsmom2 · Sep 3, 2012

I am a new ADON at a personal care home. My DON is salary and makes sure she works 40 hrs a week. Is on call alot but has only come into work 4 times in a years time and not a full day either. And have i have been told not to call her when she is not oncall. I have been the ADON and have come in 3 times to pass meds and check on residents. I am hourly and have been in this position a little over one month. We are not skilled in anyway. We do have med techs and CNA's. I try to help the girls out when I can on the floor. I would suggest to keep your eyes out. But the grass is not always greener. Good luck.

Psychcns · Sep 3, 2012

I was a nurse manager for several years. I tried very hard to keep to forty hours. It was difficult largely because of the nature of the work--there is always more to do.. I rarely went in to cover but I was always on call.

looking back i think a lot of meetings are timewasters.. Weekly meetings can often be every other week..or you can attend them every other week

There is always pressure in organizations to do more with less--and there are some who so more.. Can you delegate anything. Ie self scheduling.

I don't think you should work more than 40 hours ..are there ways you can be more efficient?? They will likely expect the work to be done..

Best wishes

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Sep 3, 2012

I am a DON in a smaller sized facility. My goal is to work 40 hours/week but usually run about 45 hours plus additional calls at home and occassionally I choose to bring some work home with me. I occassionally come back in during off hours, I participate in weekend rotation and I know I have to stay (or come in) whenever state walks into the building. That's part of the job and I get that.

I have had 4 administrators in the past 2 years. The first 3 have had no problems with my schedule. The current boss keeps reminding me that I should be doing about 50-55 hours/week. I keep reminding him that although he was not the one who hired me, I clearly asked, before taking the position, how many hours were expected. I had turned down prior offers that routinely expected 50-65+ hours/week.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Sep 3, 2012

I work between 45 and 50 hours in a regular week. My administrator barely puts in 40. The day he tells me I have to work longer hours is the day I'll be moving on.

txwildflower57 · Sep 12, 2012

I am a DON in a smaller facility, don't have an ADON or MDS coordinator. I do it all and still have to cover the floor if I don't have a nurse. I do my best to keep my hours to 40-45 but many times it isn't possible. I feel that I get paid for 40 hours a week because I don't get paid extra if I work a shift on the floor. It's your choice to work that many hours so rethink your priorities. The damn work will be there tomorrow and the day after and the after. Take time for your family because they love and care for you - if your company is like mine you are just another warm body they have to pay to make their millions. Good Luck!

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Sep 12, 2012

I am a DON in a smaller facility, don't have an ADON or MDS coordinator. I do it all and still have to cover the floor if I don't have a nurse. I do my best to keep my hours to 40-45 but many times it isn't possible. I feel that I get paid for 40 hours a week because I don't get paid extra if I work a shift on the floor. It's your choice to work that many hours so rethink your priorities. The damn work will be there tomorrow and the day after and the after. Take time for your family because they love and care for you - if your company is like mine you are just another warm body they have to pay to make their millions. Good Luck!

Wow..no ADON or MDS? How many beds? What is average medicare census? That sounds crazy!

rn/writer, RN · Sep 12, 2012

What exactly is the DON doing while you're running yourself into the ground?

She'll probably keep piling stuff on you until you draw a line.

When all is said and done, you're just one person with only so much time and energy to go around. If your boss isn't being realistic about her expectations, you have to give her honest feedback and tell her when you've reached your limit. Why would she come to the aid of an employee who seems to have unlimited capacity to stretch herself ever thinner. If the wheel don't squeak, why grease it?

Start keeping a log of how you spend your time, so you become truly aware of how long things actually take. It's easy to underestimate. Make notes of extenuating circumstances--interruptions, plans that had to be changed, shortfalls in staffing that took hours of your time to fill or that you ended up covering, etc. Until you become very familiar with your side of things, you won't be able to campaign effectively on your own behalf.

Once you have information on how long things actually take (as opposed to how long they're supposed to take), prioritize. Block out the most important things on your weekly schedule. Then add the rest until you run out of room. After you have a time budget, ask your boss what she'd like to do about the rest. Maybe you need a clerical assistant. Maybe the DON needs to take on some of the tasks herself. Maybe there are things that can be condensed, delegated, reduced or eliminated.

She can snit and snort and bluff and bluster all she wants, but the reality is that she can't get a gallon of milk from a two-quart pitcher. Until YOU are convinced of the constraints of a realistic time budget, she won't be either. She may not agree with you even if you can prove your case. But at least you will have taken care of yourself to the extent that you can.

Get the most important things done first, in part, because that's just good sense, but also because it makes you more valuable. And let her know what didn't get covered. She's ultimately the one responsible, but she'll dump on you if you're the weakest link. Let increased awareness make you strong. You can only do what you can do. And you shouldn't be putting in 60 hours if it's supposed to be a forty-hour week (give or take 10%).

I wish you the best!

Platypus · Sep 15, 2012

Miranda,

I have tried to talk to her about this. She is arrogant and doesn't respect me (or most people) at all. She gets very upset and says she is "not going to talk about this now" and leaves the office. I tried to write down everything I do, but I only got to about the first 4 hours before I got busy and didn't have time to write things down. She did hire a very experienced nurse to be a floor supervisor -but this nurse goes in and changes things without telling anyone and actually causes more work and miscommunication.

I had to work night shift again last night after working a full 9 hours, I drove the hour home and managed to get an hour of sleep before having to return. I am so over it - I would like to see her do the 9am med pass for the 38 residents and see what she has to say about it. This is why nurses leave the profession. To corp big wigs, we may be a "cost" to their bottom line...but without the nurses you have no business to give you a bottom line! 38 residents to 1 nurse is really pushing the limits!

I found out that a job at a closer location might be available and yes I am actively looking for another job. I may not have made as much money as a floor nurse, but at least I could go home at about 8 hours, feel like I accomplished something (my shift/med pass), got overtime if I worked longer, and wasn't required to be "on call" when I got home.

Thank you again for your input!

rn/writer, RN · Sep 15, 2012

I really hope the job at the closer location works out. What you're dealing with now is dangerous to both your physical and your emotional health. Not to mention a risk to your career and license.

If you don't have professional Liability Insurance, I encourage you to get some (should be around $100-$120) immediately. This kind of employer will not be on your side if anything goes wrong. In fact, they'd be more likely to toss you to the wolves, because all they care about is the bottom line. You need someone in your corner! (Get the insurance, even if you find a better job. It's cheaper than one hour of attorney consultation, and the peace of mind is worth it, even if you never need their services.)

You said your boss might say something different if she had to do your med pass. I doubt that she's interested in reality. And I know she isn't interested in your well being. You can bet that she's not taking the kind of pressure you're talking about home with her when you know she's sending it home with you.

Find a new job. Give notice. And think about her having to scramble around to locate a new lackey. Maybe after a few weeks of juggling problems and covering holes in the schedule she'll be nicer to the new hire. But, I doubt it.

No job is worth putting yourself and your family in harm's way. I wish you the best.