Urgent question

Published

Hello All, I am hoping that this does not border on legal advice.... I am currently working in a nursing home in Wisconsin. Currently on day shift right this minute. I was told at one point that our facility is not a mandated stay facility. We currently have a call in for PM shift tonight. Me and the two other nurses can't stay. I have called all of our nurses and med techs and am getting either a "no" or a voicemail. We are being told by management that one of us has to stay if no one can come in. Tonight is one med tech and a nurse. Management will not come in to cover. Do we have any recourse with this issue?

Some shifts in some facilities are very sensitive to call-outs or short staffing. Not fair, but obviously yours is one of them. Ususally, the solution is for a facility to staff nurses who take extra hours whenever possible and happily stay for a double (yes, they exist, more than you know). You have already figured out it's time to look for another job, and hopefully you will land a much better one!

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This is unreal! I can't imagine this. I am so sorry you are stuck. :(

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Sorry. That sucks. It's happened to all of us. I'd ask for OT pay and look for another job.

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Sorry. That sucks. It's happened to all of us. I'd ask for OT pay and look for another job.

Ask?

OP - look up labor law in Wisconsin. They likely are REQUIRED to give you OT.

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Ask?

OP - look up labor law in Wisconsin. They likely are REQUIRED to give you OT.

Even better. I've never been paid ot for mandated time, though, but I was either part time or requested another day off so never exceeded 40 hrs.

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Specializes in ED, PACU, CM.

They are blatantly taking advantage of you. When you accept a management position you have to understand that extra pay comes with extra responsibilities, including coming in to cover when your facility is short-staffed. If I were in the position to do so, I would call the ADON and tell her to figure out how to cover the shift, or figure out how to replace me. Resignation tendered, effectively immediately. But that would only be if I were able and willing to do so.

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Specializes in Varied.

Mandated overtime is, unfortunately, part of the culture of nursing in nursing homes. Especially when nursing homes work with such short staff.

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Management refusing to fix their staffing issues, and refusing to come in to cover a shift. Poor leadership seems to be a systemic problem, but I'm sure there's an excuse for that.

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Management refusing to fix their staffing issues, and refusing to come in to cover a shift. Poor leadership seems to be a systemic problem, but I'm sure there's an excuse for that.

They say healthcare is broken. LTC isn't just broken, it's a complete disaster and fails both the patient and those who try their best to provide good care.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

It is the responsibility of the on call manager to come in. That person failed the OP.

So sorry you are going through this OP.

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If I were in the position to do so, I would call the ADON and tell her to figure out how to cover the shift, or figure out how to replace me. Resignation tendered, effectively immediately. But that would only be if I were able and willing to do so.

Understandable sentiment, but as a point of clarification for those who may not know better, wise to remember that an immediate resignation which also effects the result of patient abandonment would be considered such - and is quite likely to be reported by the employer (I would think), if for no other reason than retaliation. Unless you are able to somehow give a proper hand-off prior to tendering an immediate resignation, doing so while assigned to patients would be both job abandonment and patient abandonment -- the latter being something in which a BON would be interested.

There are other options, such as making it through the immediate situation to the best of one's abilities and then tendering a resignation. Sometimes there aren't easy answers, though, such as a situation where someone could be accused of abandoning a dependent if they aren't able to make alternative childcare arrangements quickly enough.

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

Question for you guys responding -

Hypothetically, what if the next relief nurse doesn't show up. What does a nurse do then after working 20-24+ hours?

Just curious!

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