Someone has to stay!!!!!

[anotherone]

I work in a large hospital. Many times we are short staffed. Sometimes it is due to lack of staff even scheduled other times due to call offs. How does your hospital handle this? Usually about 5 times a week someone is made to stay under the threat of patient abadonment or no threat even required. Most people work 12.5 hour shifts so that means 16.5 hours of working, possibly already short. I know we have a law against being mandated in our state but the hospital doesn't seem to care at all. what is the punishment for them, if any ? this facility is the biggest in the area and the company controls almost all other hospitals in about a 150mile radius. stirring trouble or not being a "team player" is not worth the ability to leave when scheduled to leave. some people are very very receptive to being mandated and don't seem to care, just see it as their "nurse duty". some are very agaisnt it and confrontational with management when it happens. i don't know what the point of this rant is , aside from a vent and for perspective on what goes on in other hospitals. i mean we can't work THAT short, so how is it dealt with in other places?

[Poi Dog]

My facility mandates us, which I think is so wrong. The worst is getting mandated to work 1st shift after working 3rd. I resent it when I am mandated. Give me a choice, don't force me!

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

You know, I don't mind staying extra when something unexpected comes up. People get sick, accidents happen and stuff like that. Can't be helped.

What frosts my buns, is when I'm being given the guilt trip because the person in charge of scheduling screwed up or always does a p*** poor job making sure of coverage.

What?? Because YOU screwed up, I have to stay?

Noooooooooooooooooooooo.

Seriously, I don't make their staffing problems my own.

You and I must work at the same place!

The person in charge of doing our daily schedule assignments makes mistakes CONSTANTLY. One time she scheduled 4 people to work evening shift and every single one of them were listed as 'off' that day. She was getting the lines in the schedule confused. Do you think she offered to stay and help cover the shift? Nope. We were ALL stuck that day.