Survey: Do you leave work at your scheduled time on a regular basis?

chronicTX · May 19, 2004

Hardly. I work in the operating room for an 8-hour shift and the length of time a major or a minor surgery is completed are unpredictable. Most of the time, I get off about an hour or two beyond my time. It's not even about extra pay. We just get 30% plus by the hour and as soon as we get our pay slip, taxes has them ripped off already. I think it's about fulfilling your duty and telling yourself at the end of the day, "I have served well today"... :rolleyes:

night owl · May 27, 2004

NEVER ever. I usually leave 30 minutes or so later. There's just too much happening at the change of shift to let me leave on time. For the first time I left 15 minutes after my shift ended this morning and I thought that was a miracle.

jones58 · Jun 16, 2004

:uhoh3: I work fast and furious to get everything done AND get a lunchbreak, but,

sometimes after I leave work I remember something I didn't do. Little things. Like take off someone's nitro patch at hs.(I call relieving nurse and ask her to take it off) Or chart that I did something last minute(late note, next day). It's irritating and I strive to be better. But perfect I will never be. And if our employers want us to get out on time (to ease their own conscience), they better try harder to get us the staff and supplies we need.

MizzPrettyPilz · Jul 24, 2004

I work 7a-7p shift in an acute care LTAC. I "used" to get out approx. 2 hours late until I realized I CAN'T DO EVERYTHING ON MY SHIFT!!!! Nursing care is 24/7. And where I work, the night shift wanted the day shift to have everything done for them so they can drink coffee and chit chat while we answer lights, put patients on bedpans, etc,...so when they get started they have nothing to do! I got hip to them and now ,at worst, I leave no more than 30 minutes late. There are of course variables like the a-hole doctors that like to come and write 50 millions orders at 6pm and want to ask you 50 million questions and request lab results and every g-damn thing else at the worst possible time. Or the a-hole family members that want the life story of patient right at shift change when we are getting report "every" day at 7pm and want the doctor paged because mom didn't have a stool "today" even though she had one "yesterday". When it's time to go we have written report sheets and most of the time give report to the same nurses more than one day in a row. And they wonder why there is a nursing shortage! HAH! :angryfire

MyReign1 · Jul 24, 2004

in the facility i work now...we were told...commanded...that we should clock out for breaks even if we didn't have one (too much work load...50 residents, 1 nurse) and that we should clock out...to the minute...even if we have to stay longer to finish paper works. our dns even told us that if we can't finish our work to just pass it on to the next shift.

Wal-mart was recently sued for that type of thing. They had to pay out ot quite a few employees. That is illegal!!! I wouldn't do it and I would let them know just that!!

schmoop00 · Oct 30, 2004

Is the webmaster EVER going to post a new question?????

lifeisbeautiful · Oct 30, 2004

I can understand having to stay OT once a week. If people are needing to stay over on a regular basis, to me, this indicates that the patient load-work load is too much and another nurse should be brought in to help. Makes sense doesn't it?

lifeisbeautiful · Oct 30, 2004

Wal-mart was recently sued for that type of thing. They had to pay out ot quite a few employees. That is illegal!!! I wouldn't do it and I would let them know just that!!

Illegal is right! i'd report it. Our facility tried to do this with overtime. They would write a person up if they needed to stay over to complete their work, so many nurses were clocking out, but remaining on the job. Not only is this illegal, but if you are hurt after you have clocked out, they are not liable to cover you because technically, you are off the clock. My hospital just paid out millions because time cards were being altered by nurse managers.. Great ethics, huh? I got over $1000 in OT that was shorted from me.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Oct 30, 2004

I'm so glad I work in a union hospital......that sort of thing does NOT happen to us.

As for getting off work: I'd say that on average, I leave on time 3 out of the 4 days I work in a given week. There's always those times when the next shift is late coming in for report, or the narc count is off, or you just can't leave until your charting's done, and management is pretty understanding as long as we don't take advantage of it. :)

lvn_to_rn · Oct 31, 2004

rarely do I leave work at scheduled time. Something always seems to come up at the last minute. :nurse:

lady_jh_98 · Mar 25, 2005

I work the 6P-6A shift at a hospital. I usually get off at 7:15 am. The earliest I've ever gotten off is at 6:45 am.