Staying late without pay

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 20, 2010

Where I work, you need to punch out at X time, and while they understand once in a while it happens that you have to stay late (a new admit 20 minutes before shift change, or a death with lots of paperwork, or in the case of where I work, a change of shift delivery), when that does happen, you have to enter it in a book and your charge nurse has to sign off on it. If it happens repeatedly, you do get a formal reprimand.

I would say that in the absence of an extenuating circumstance (such as the aforementioned ones), if you find you're regularly staying late to catch up with charting or what have you, then you need to change something or work on your time management skills. You shouldn't have to stay an hour later to chart on a regular basis.

wanderinrn · Oct 20, 2010

Ok, I have had to deal with this in the past. I worked on a floor that was very similar to what yours sounds like. They would always give us that crap about clocking out. But, I never did get written up and was often having to stay late, just because of the stuff you are talking about. As you say, no one was more eager for me to be out the door than I myself was. But, I was darned if I was going to work off the clock. I think it is a legal issue. If you can show by documentation, and by staffing quotas that you absolutely have to be there, then there is little they can do about it. They either get enough staff to take care of what needs to be done, or they get off your back and let you do what you have to do. What my former place of employment used to really hate was fractional overtime, where staff would clock out just past the time where it would add another quarter hour to their time for the day. And there were a few who would do that.

Minnie2006 · Oct 20, 2010

I could have written this post myself, almost word for word. I am at the end of my rope trying to figure out how to get it all wrapped up the exact minute mgmt. wants. The only thing that I can figure is paperwork first, pt. needs last. If you have any suggestions on short cuts to greater efficiency, I for one would greatly appreciate them! I'm glad to know that I am not alone in this dilema. The documentation is overwhelming, thanks to fear of "malpractice". It's a shame to think that the only black mark you may have in your file is for clocking out late to provide the best quality of care to the pts. instead of charting first!

OgopogoLPN, LPN, RN · Oct 20, 2010

No, I don't typically run into this problem. I am able to chart adequately throughout my shift (there are of course exceptions to this when the shift if so crazy, you can't get anything done, but this is very rare). I make darn sure I am emptying drains and foleys by 6pm, ready to start giving report to oncoming shift by 6:55pm, out the door by 7:05 pm. Adequate charting should negate the need for a long, drawn out oral report to oncoming shift. I try to keep it to the very important and urgent information. The rest they can read.

If I stay beyond 15 minutes past the end of my shift, (beyond my control), I put in an overtime slip.

Orange Tree · Oct 20, 2010

It's an issue I had right off orientation. I was counseled about staying too late, too often. I let them know that I did not want to stay late, and that I realized it was important for my time management skills to improve......but I also let them know that it was unreasonable to expect me to be as efficient as someone with 15 years of experience. That worked for me. They backed off a little bit and I continued to improve. I rarely have to stay late these days, but it does still happen occasionally.

OttawaRPN · Oct 20, 2010

Can't say I've had any issues with OT, then again my employers certainly don't expect nurses to work for free. The general rule is you come 15 mins before your shift and stay up to 15 mins after your shift w/o OT, after that it's approved OT - which is easy to justify if there's been a late admission, a code, or some other unforeseen circumstance. Generally, charting needs to be done during the shift, and is not an excuse for staying late.

Heck, I even get paid for my lunch break if I'm way too busy to take one.

guest64485 · Oct 20, 2010

I would say that in the absence of an extenuating circumstance (such as the aforementioned ones), if you find you're regularly staying late to catch up with charting or what have you, then you need to change something or work on your time management skills. You shouldn't have to stay an hour later to chart on a regular basis.

Or, your nurse : patient ratio sucks. Take a look around at the other experienced nurses on the floor, and let them be your guide. If a large portion of them are staying late, then its the system, not the nurses, which has problems.

realnursealso/LPN, LPN · Oct 20, 2010

That hospital is a lawsuit waiting to happen. It is illegal for them to make you work off the clock. Google Walmart, and see what happened to them. Suits Say Wal-Mart Forces Workers to Toil Off the Clock Sooner or later they will be caught up with.

LouisVRN, RN · Oct 20, 2010

I agree, I think there are multiple issues here. Are some people being able to leave on time regularly? I would hasten to say if your preceptor is regularly staying overtime, she should probably not be orienting people. If everyone is staying late everyday I would take this to management. I know a lot of nurses that refuse to leave until EVERYTHING is done, but the fact is it's not 12 hour care we provide to patients, its 24 hours, 7 days a week. I can not document what you did on your shift, but emptying a foley here and there, putting a chart together for a new admit, that I can do. You need to prioritize what someone coming on CAN NOT do for you and do as much of the rest of the stuff that allows you to get out during a reasonable time. While there are extenuating circumstances that require you to stay late, a last minute CRT or Code, it should be the rare exception and any manager should be understanding of that.

misschiatia · Oct 20, 2010

I would say that in the absence of an extenuating circumstance (such as the aforementioned ones), if you find you're regularly staying late to catch up with charting or what have you, then you need to change something or work on your time management skills. You shouldn't have to stay an hour later to chart on a regular basis.[html]

That can depend on the setting in which you work. In Long term care you have 30 something patients and one nurse. If all of their docs come in on the same day,3 of them fall, and one gets sent out to the hospital, no way one nurse can do all that. In some cases what doesn't get done can fall back on the nurse who left it. In other words, if the admission that came 20 minutes before the end of the shift gets audited and they find that a skin assessment or something wasn't done, management in some settings will discipline the nurse that recieved the admission. And what if an order that was written earlier gets left with the oncoming shift, and they blow it off or say you didn't tell them. If it doesnt get done, the shift that originally recieved the order is more likely to be held accountable. I'd say have a care for your license when leaving things behind. If you are giving good report, you should be able to pass on anything. i just hope it's written report so you can prove it later

thinkertdm · Oct 21, 2010

Jeez, don't work for free. I know it is tempting because so much is asked of you, but the deal is, you work, they give you money. If you work off the clock, you know what that means? Work is getting done, but no money for you.

Also, think of this. When the bigwigs go over their numbers, they are just going to look at how much work got done (using whatever metric they use), and look at how much they paid the nurses to do it.

Guess what they will see? A whole lot of work got done, and not a whole lot of money went into doing it! And being money conscious folks they are (aka greedy), they will try to beat that number next year. Which sucks for you, the nurse who works extra, because now you have more work to do, off or on the clock.

Here's the short and long of it: when you work, get paid for every second you put in. When you clock out, go home, and live your life. I know you have lots to do. Working off the clock is NOT going to save your job- it's going to burn you out.