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Discussion

staffing question

I'm a student and started working on a hospital floor in June. I understand the census and the needs of the unit. What I dont understand is the charge nurse, manager and supervisor all calling me several times the four hours before my shift to change my assignment. You're flexed off, you're back on, you're on a different floor, or you're coming in at this time now. First of all I'm trying to sleep. They seem so unorganized. I was flexed off one night then called after I was out with friends, they tried to guilt me but I was drinking so refused. Another night they just wanted me on-call but forced me to start "call" four hours before my shift started. I always answer my phone. Should I stop? Or is staffing always this chaotic?

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    • Featured Replies

    That sounds odd. At my hospital, staffing needs aren't determined until 2 hours before shift, since people are allowed to call off up until that time. If I'm flexed off, as you put, I'm put on call, which means they can call me in any time that night. The downside is I'm stuck close to home; the plus side is that I get time and a half if I get called in.

    You shouldn't be getting tons of calls changing the schedule around. That's just disorganized. Is this a trend or a one off?

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    • Author

    I'm used to "call" I did that for many years in the OR. Chaos I'm not used to. I like the two hour rule, I don't think you should give someone the day off, unless you're 100% sure.

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    Like the above poster said, we have until 2 hr before the shift to call off. They in turn will call you off about an hour before the shift starts, but you have to be oncall for just the first 4 hours. After that, it's your time. We get no $ for being on call unless we are called in. If we are called in, we only get our regular pay.

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    I'm always amazed that hospitals can get away with hiring nurses with the expectation that they work when scheduled, but if the census is low then they can cancel the nurse or place the nurse on call. Fortunately, I no longer work a job where I am cancelled or placed on call, but I believe few professions would tolerate this! So, basically the nurse doesn't get paid or they are expected to use VACATION time to get paid when they were SCHEDULED to work. It's just wrong!!!

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    • Experts

    A certain amount of "last minute shifting" is understandable as patient census and acuity changes at the last minute, some staff members call in sick at the last minute, etc. However, it sounds as if your employer does not have a good system in place to handle those situations and is struggling to deal with them. They shouldn't be having to call you and change things that many times for a single shift of work.

    I recommend talking to your manage if necessary, reading your policy manual, etc. and make sure that you have a clear agreement as to what your obligations are. For example, at what point are your truly released from any obligations to work a specific shift? At what point are you truly free to make other plans (such as drinking, going out of town, changing your sleep schedule, etc.)? You need to know you legal obligations related to that so that you don't get in trouble some day for not being available when they are expecting you to work. Protect yourself by clarifying that with your manager.

    The conversation to clarify your obligations might also be a good way to broach the subject of the last-minute changes with your manager. Don't approach her with an attitude of "You guys are disorganized and I hate it" attitude ... but rather with a polite question about what the procedure is and at what point you are truly released to make other plans -- saying that you don't want to make a mistake about what some of their phone calls mean.

    If you play your cards right (e.g. asking the question nicely at a staff meeting), it might begin a conversation that could improve the situation a little. As they hear from many staff members that the last-minute calls are a problem, they may take a look at their system and improve it a bit.

    Finally ... I'd be screening my calls before I picked up, if I were you. Give yourself a chance to hear their message and think about it before calling them back and talking to them. And if they have officially released you for the shift ... and you don't want to work it ... you can say you went out (went to sleep, etc. ) and didn't get the message until it was too late.

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    I'm always amazed that hospitals can get away with hiring nurses with the expectation that they work when scheduled, but if the census is low then they can cancel the nurse or place the nurse on call. Fortunately, I no longer work a job where I am cancelled or placed on call, but I believe few professions would tolerate this! So, basically the nurse doesn't get paid or they are expected to use VACATION time to get paid when they were SCHEDULED to work. It's just wrong!!!

    I should probably add that we were "on-call" for our entire 12 hour shift with a 1 hour recall. Technically, though, if you weren't called in by your tenth hour or so, you pretty much knew you wouldn't have to go in.

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    Your place is very unorganized. Why are 3 people calling you? That should be the job of 1 person. I don't understand why they call to tell you are floated. At my place you come in normal and they tell you when you get there. Although I wish they would call me, that way I think of an excuse not to work =)

    We get called off 2 hrs prior to the shift. We can either get low volumed for a full 12 or usually in 4 hr increments. You have about an hr to get to work, although some of us live farther than that and it has never been a problem.

    Your management team needs a talkin to

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    • Experts
    I'm a student and started working on a hospital floor in June. I understand the census and the needs of the unit. What I dont understand is the charge nurse, manager and supervisor all calling me several times the four hours before my shift to change my assignment. You're flexed off, you're back on, you're on a different floor, or you're coming in at this time now. First of all I'm trying to sleep. They seem so unorganized. I was flexed off one night then called after I was out with friends, they tried to guilt me but I was drinking so refused. Another night they just wanted me on-call but forced me to start "call" four hours before my shift started. I always answer my phone. Should I stop? Or is staffing always this chaotic?

    Caller-ID. You're not obligated to live your life around the place.

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    My phone is always off when I sleep, since I'm on permanent nights. I also don't answer their calls anymore. Call display is your friend. You shouldn't allow any job to dictate your life.

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    • Author

    Thanks everyone. I'm trying to not burn bridges. It is not my wish to remain employed there after school, but it could be my only option. I'm doing everything I can to make a good impression at the magnet hospital I'm assigned to for clinicals right now. I just wanted to know if that was normal.

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