Shift Cancellations (Please HELP!!)

Published

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!

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Is this union?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

It is a balancing act trying to have the needed number of staff while minimizing flexing down due to a low census. I try to hire just enough staff to meet our needs while not having to frequently cancel people. Maintains the right number of staff is one of my bigger challenges.

A seniority system is not fair if it targets one or two nurses repeatedly. If someone has put in 10-20 years in the place I can see them getting some kind of a break, but not a full week-every week guarantee. I value rewarding loyalty, but if I hire someone, I'd like to keep them, and they won't be there long if they never get their hours.

If you are under a union, it may be in the contract, not in the policy. If the policy says...see the contract...then it may say nothing specific in the policy itself.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Is this union?

No. This hospital is not unionized.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It is a balancing act trying to have the needed number of staff while minimizing flexing down due to a low census. I try to hire just enough staff to meet our needs while not having to frequently cancel people. Maintains the right number of staff is one of my bigger challenges.

A seniority system is not fair if it targets one or two nurses repeatedly. If someone has put in 10-20 years in the place I can see them getting some kind of a break, but not a full week-every week guarantee. I value rewarding loyalty, but if I hire someone, I'd like to keep them, and they won't be there long if they never get their hours.

If you are under a union, it may be in the contract, not in the policy. If the policy says...see the contract...then it may say nothing specific in the policy itself.

Thank you for your response. This hospital is fairly new (less than 2 years old). Most of the nurses with top seniority have for about 18 months. I've been there for about 8 months and i am not under any unions. We are basically talking about an employment gap of 10 months lol. Doesn't make sense right?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

We cancel by rotation for low census.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

The way it works where I work is is if the unit is over staffed first we'll float to one of our sister units on the same floor. If they don't need anybody we'll float to one of the other floors. If the other floors don't need anybody then we'll start to cancel shifts. PRN people are canceled first. If there are no PRN people then full time staff gets canceled. The way that works is based on your last cancellation date. Whoever has the least recent cancellation can either accept the cancellation or refuse if they refuse the next person can get canceled and so on. If no one wants to get canceled then it is based on seniority whoever has the least seniority is canceled. New nurses can't be canceled for 6 months after they are hired since they aren't eligible to float off the floor until they have 6 months of service. You can float to one of the sister units on the floor after 90 days though. Very rarely does it go to having people be forced to be canceled. Most folks if they have it saved up just use PTO to cover the lost wages.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Being cancelled is rampant where I am. It started at the smaller hospitals first. Now it's even at the bigger places. Yes, it's possible to lose an entire weeks pay. Call off is by rotation, but there's no easy way to do it. Depending on who you work with and the census, one nurse can get all her hours, and one nurse will get none. Some of the nurses are getting creative about getting around rotation. It's not pretty.

As everyone else has already suggested, another job is the best option.

I'd check into unemployment. If you're repeatedly losing weeks of pay, you can sign up. At least that was the case a long time ago. It won't come close to covering a nurse's wage, but it's something.

.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
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.

I actually meant "new" to the facility. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Where I worked it was a rotation. But the nurses with the most seniority were usually cancelled because they wanted it and usually had the most pto time accrued.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
No. This hospital is not unionized.
I am surprised that they are just beginning to cancel. I have seen canceling start in the early/mid 1990's. Most facilities cancel by request first....then by turn and most hours canceled.

I had a worksheet/spreadsheet that calculated total hours, total hours mandatory cancel, total hours request, last canceled that we worked off.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
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.

Yeah, I can see your point, but the flip side of that is if a newbie is always being called off first, they aren't likely to stay to become senior staff. They'll go somewhere else where the rotations are, well, rotated. If there's five nurses scheduled, and for a week or so they only need four, why should the newest to join just not work for that whole period of time? I would think that would be a serious impediment to retention.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
I am surprised that they are just beginning to cancel. I have seen canceling start in the early/mid 1990's. Most facilities cancel by request first....then by turn and most hours canceled.

I had a worksheet/spreadsheet that calculated total hours, total hours mandatory cancel, total hours request, last canceled that we worked off.

Your system sounds like the most fair I've ever seen. Unfortunately it looks more complicated and time consuming.

Supervisors aren't losing any hours, so they're not as sympathetic to the pain as they should be. They just want to cancel the easiest way they can. Then get off the phone so they don't have to answer questions or listen to complaints.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion