Short staffing incentive ideas???

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We are experiencing our typical summer baby boom at work and consequently are extremely short staffed on the large OB unit I work on. Usually a robocall will go out (similar to the one schools use to call off school) to alert staff that extra help is needed. All staff are called at one time. Typically they will first offer on call (time and a half pay) and single bonus (extra $10/hour). If they get no takers, the offer is increased to on call and double bonus (time and a half plus an extra $20/hour). Even though that is a lot of money, staff are tired of coming in extra and coming in and working very short staffed and therefor the response is dwindling. Does anyone have any other unique or innovative staffing incentives for times like these? I appreciate any ideas you may have. Tired in STL

Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.

I've generally not been terribly impressed with a lot of the travellers that have rolled through my joints. Some have been terrific but a lot have been subpar performers. Absolute last resort in my experience.

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I am a weary staff nurse who blocked those calls a long time ago. Thanks for all of your ideas.

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We were offered bonus packages. For example three extra shifts you get 750 dollars. 8 extra shifts you get 2000 dollars. 3 weekend shifts 1000 dollars. Each shift 250 dollars. I cleaned up last summer working incentive shifts.

I picked up i dont know how many days, but it ended up being 20 straight 12's on top of my scheduled shifts. God i wonder what my incentive would have been if i worked where this was offered lol :(

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Specializes in "Wound care - geriatric care.

I have a great idea. It goes more or less like that: hire and train more nurses

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Specializes in labor and delivery, OR.

Sounds like my hospital, they add on free movie tickets as well, but then again like you said, only the younger inexperienced nurses are biting at that, the older ones know, its just not worth the stress.

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Specializes in labor and delivery, OR.

You know what? We have (always) 15 travelers on staff working along side of us. And we are a HCA so you know we don't get paid well, but those travelers do. Therefore, I too have resorted to in state traveling since TX is so big. And they know why they are losing me. I love my staff, I love my patients, but for the stress, low pay, and no light at the end of the tunnel...whew, I'm exhausted. They beg us at the end of the shift to stay a couple of hours over to help and remind us of the double bonus. It's bananas.

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My question is how do call outs effect your staffing? If you have a lot of call outs addressing that may help with some of the short staffing. My department only has 2 open positions but we have 1-3 call outs per shift on average. This makes it feel as if we never have enough staff when in fact we usually do before call outs. A very creative idea that does not really cost anything is an incentive to not call out. One of the facilities that I worked put everyone's name who was not late or had not called out for the last schedule period(12 wks) in a had and drew one name per shift. The winners got to make their own schedule for the next period and none of the normal schedule rules applied. For example this schedule has your holiday to work and you want it off- DONE. It;s the summer 12 wk scheduel and you don't want to work weekends- OK. After the first round of winners call outs dropped to fewer than 5 per week and this is in a 45 bed ED with over 250 FTE. The best thing for the hospital was minimal cost.

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So glad something so simple worked so well for you. We don't have a problem with call ins, tho we have a strict policy against excessive call ins. Greater than 6/yr (running calendar) constitutes a write up for full time staff. These would be unexcused absences, not approved sick leaves. I guess you would have to wonder why staff are calling in so much. Do you have a written policy for excessive call-ins? Our accumulated sick time bank was taken away last year. If you call in, you have to cover those shifts with paid time off-hours from your vacation bank. That could be the deterient we have in place to keep call ins to a minimum. Thanks for your input for helping with our staffing crunch!

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Wow. I am never responding to a desperate plea to come in ever again. We get NOTHING -- just base pay. Oh yeah, and maybe a $2 voucher to use at the hospital cafeteria. I knew other facilities offered incentives, but I never realized just how ridiculous my own unit is. Though I guess they usually manage to get people to come in so why would they pay more? Damn I hate being exploited/my labor undervalued in so many ways. UGH I'm burned out.

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Specializes in M/S, Pulmonary, Travel, Homecare, Psych..
We are experiencing our typical summer baby boom at work and consequently are extremely short staffed on the large OB unit I work on. Usually a robocall will go out (similar to the one schools use to call off school) to alert staff that extra help is needed. All staff are called at one time. Typically they will first offer on call (time and a half pay) and single bonus (extra $10/hour). If they get no takers, the offer is increased to on call and double bonus (time and a half plus an extra $20/hour). Even though that is a lot of money, staff are tired of coming in extra and coming in and working very short staffed and therefor the response is dwindling. Does anyone have any other unique or innovative staffing incentives for times like these? I appreciate any ideas you may have. Tired in STL

Well, that part is jumping out at me as possibly being part of the problem. If they know no one is taking it, they know to wait and get more. In that time of waiting..........I wonder how many change their minds and decide not to go in at all.

A place that I felt had a good handle on staffing situations did something I'd never seen before, in emergencies: Come in today, get extra PTO to use later in the year. I think it was two hours per shift covered extra. The policies on when said PTO could be used were mapped out clearly and explained they could be used during slow times or times when no one was on vacation etc etc.....

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Specializes in M/S, Pulmonary, Travel, Homecare, Psych..
Wow. I am never responding to a desperate plea to come in ever again. We get NOTHING -- just base pay. Oh yeah, and maybe a $2 voucher to use at the hospital cafeteria. I knew other facilities offered incentives, but I never realized just how ridiculous my own unit is. Though I guess they usually manage to get people to come in so why would they pay more? Damn I hate being exploited/my labor undervalued in so many ways. UGH I'm burned out.

My first job ever, as a grad nurse, was at a place like yours.....................(goes to hit the Post Comment button then pauses as something hits her as being very ironic)

............................and that hospital is closed now. lol

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