Shift Cancellations (Please HELP!!)

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My workplace started cancelling nurses due to low census. The cancellations are based on seniority. Among other nurses, I've been at this facility the least amount of years. There has been numerous instances where I've been cancelled for the whole week, while other nurses have gotten their full three days. I am always the first to be cancelled, regardless of previous cancellation. Something about this does not seem okay. I have looked everywhere in the hospital policy about cancellation based on seniority and I cannot find it. I am a full time employee and I live in a right to work state. Please Help!

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Specializes in CVICU.

Every place I've ever worked, they have a place where people can sign up to get cancelled if they want the day off (at my facility they call it an EA (excused absence), there is usually no shortage of volunteers. They havn't involuntarily started cancelling nurses here yet. At my previous employer the pecking order for cancellation was Per Diem, Part time, Full time.

Sounds like your situation sucks and that it would be a deal breaker for me. Business is business and you probably need a dependable income. It's time to start looking for a new job and when you find one that fits the bill put your two week notice in and run as fast as you can.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

At my hospital, we are cancelled in rotation. So if I got it yesterday, someone else gets it today. Have you spoken to your manager or administration about how unfair this is?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Sounds like it may be a union environment, where everything is tied to seniority. Cancellations are becoming a huge issue all over the country as productivity standards are ratcheted down. The obvious consequence - nurses leaving to find more stable employment - will end up costing them even more money in coverage at premium wages (OT or agency) and recruitment costs. More healthcare management brilliance, right?

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Specializes in CVICU.
Sounds like it may be a union environment, where everything is tied to seniority. Cancellations are becoming a huge issue all over the country as productivity standards are ratcheted down. The obvious consequence - nurses leaving to find more stable employment - will end up costing them even more money in coverage at premium wages (OT or agency) and recruitment costs. More healthcare management brilliance, right?

Or just having to work short.

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I would look for stable employment elsewhere.

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Step One: check with your unit manager to find out if this is POLICY (written in stone) or HABIT ("how we've always done it"). If it's the former, it's time to find more stable employment. If it's the latter, ask her about addressing this problem, as if it keeps up, all the newer staff will be leaving and then her "senior" staff will be working when they didn't want to. Not to mention how word spreads about unfair arrangements ;)

Goodluck!

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This actually sounds fair to me. I've seen a bunch of new nurses get hired and then everyone start getting canceled in rotation. It's almost like the dependable, full-time nurses who'd proven themselves were "half-replaced" by the new staff.

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That does seem unfair to me. At my hospital PRN, PT, then FT gets cancelled in that order and it goes by turn. We also have a list of people that are requesting "EO" so they would get cancelled 1st, but the problem with that is even if you get your "EO" you are still required to take call. It seems like a waste of PTO to me. Some people would try to use an "EO" day instead of calling in sick so it wouldn't be used against them. We have a strict call in policy. The problem with that is if we get busy you could get called in so you are taking a chance, so if you are truly sick you better just call in sick. Also if PRN gets cancelled they aren't required to take call, but they can if they want to.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Are these your regularly scheduled shifts that are being cancelled? If so, that's a giant load of BS. In my workplace you cannot be cancelled if it is your regularly scheduled day, only pickups and casual staff can be cancelled, and it is done based on a rotation.

If you are losing a whole week at a time of what are supposed to be your shifts you should definitely look for another job

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Thanks guys!

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This actually sounds fair to me. I've seen a bunch of new nurses get hired and then everyone start getting canceled in rotation. It's almost like the dependable, full-time nurses who'd proven themselves were "half-replaced" by the new staff.

Actually, I am not a new nurse. I have years of nursing experience under my belt. I've been charge at this facility numerous times. I am just the newest nurse hired at this facility.

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