Taking phone calls and calling Patients on days off

[Bonosgrrl]

I work part time 2 days a week. I am constantly getting texts and phone calls on my days off. If a patient calls the office with a question, if labs come back, tests, anything, they call me at home on my off days to handle it. The other provider , the practice owner, wont donit. I do not get paid for this.

They say its part if the job and i have to be available to do this. I do not have a written contract.

Is this normal?

[LadysSolo]

I have taken call while on vacation, I took a call at my mother's funeral (I had to step out of the service to take it,) Christmas day, and no, we are not compensated well (I have had one raise in 6 years.) If a call comes while I am asleep and do not hear it, I answer as soon as I get the call. I will admit, my nursing homes try not to call me when I am on vacation or when they know I have plans (I try to keep them aware, as I have covered the same facilities for the 6 years, and we respect each other.)

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

This just doesn't even seem remotely professional to me - we HAVE to have some down time. So you all that are on call 24/7, never ever have a drink, go somewhere outside of cell range, go to a movie, go anywhere where you are unreachable????

I travel extensively for work and am out of cell range a lot due to rural areas so even when I am on call, I catch my calls when I'm able. I don't drink but still I NEED some downtime.

[Jules A, MSN]

Outpatient they only contact me during business hours when the clinic is open of course and are fairly well screened. On the inpatient units where I work we rotate overnight call so its rare that I get after hours calls but they happen. If I'm on vacation I have someone cover for me but still can get the odd call. To tell the truth I'd rather know whats going on with my crew than have major stuff going on that I may or may not hear about when I return.

[Bonosgrrl]

I am paid hourly, i only work 1 full day and 1 half day a week. The office is open 4 days a week. The other provider is the physician who owns the practice. I am not being called with emergent things, these are things like a patient called and wants to speak to me about something. Or test results. I work in Podiatry so our critical things arw few and far between.

[Jules A, MSN]

Then you need to rein in your office staff. Set reasonable, measurable, appropriate parameters with them and if that doesn't reduce the non-urgent calls I'd speak with the Doc. Good luck.

[reggaemuffin, MSN, NP, CNS]

Well I think the issue is you only work part time. So if they wait till youre back for refill requests, labs etc maybe it will be too late. Did you discuss this when you signed on? It seems like you need to have a talk with the physician. There needs to be a system in place for what happens when you won't be back at work for the next 5 days. And if you aren't satisfied with the answer, then it may be time to move on. If you are taking call all day on your off days you may as well work full time and get paid for it.