Voluntary OT

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I'm very angry right now. This is something that has been bothering me for a while, but it really ticked me off tonight.

As direct care staff I'm not afraid to disclose that I make around $11-$12/hr. There is a lot of Voluntary OT where I work because this rate just doesn't cut it for paying the bills for some... most...(NJ)

The rules for voluntary OT are as follows:

1. You must wait exactly 1/2 hour after the beginning of a shift (If "A" Shift starts at 11:30p, you must wait until exactly 12:00a to be placed on the OT list for "B" Shift).

2. First come, first serve.

3. There is no guarantee you will be given OT if "adequate" (rolls eyes) coverage is made.

4. Chances are you will be to any unit that needs staff the most... so you will not be working in a familliar enviroment.

Okay so my gripe is this:

We have certain staff that work out here who constantly place themselves on the OT list (and I'm probably the only one that actualy tells people "Sorry, call back in 1 minute, it's not midnight yet") and they agree to go to such and such a unit when there time comes to go.

Now these certain staff always have a habit of either A. Going home early, leaving the coverage short.

B. Or if it was Pre-Scheduled OT in their own unit and they get pulled to another unit because of staffing needs they will go home.

This upsets me because most of the time there are good staff that just don't make the call as fast as they could, but I know for a fact they would stay the entire night and chances are probably need the money more because they hardly ever get the OT.

I get so frustrated when I have to tell people, "Sorry there is no OT tonight." Then half the people that we gave it to leave before the shift is even over! I really think that people that abuse the system in the way they do should have some sort of sanctions against them, but of course this is a big "no-no".

The thing is about working in these "unfamilliar" units is that all the clients are about the same, though they range from high to low functioning. Most of the time people go home because it's a low functioning unit and they will have to change attends. Another one of my pet peeves. If you didn't want to be a PAW, wth did you sign up for a direct care position in a LTC facility?!:angryfire

There are some people that are just working here for the money and sad to say, this is probably one of the highest paying jobs in my area that doesn't require a certificate or degree outside H.S./G.E.D. (I'm not sure it requires that either???)... which causes a lot of people to sign up that really shouldn't work here... but being a civil-service job... yah... good luck finding a reason to get rid of the bad ones. :angryfire:angryfire:angryfire

I could go on and on and on about the failing beuracracy of this place, but I would just be beating a dead horse. Nothing can be done about it... it's sad to say but I really do feel that the Developmental Disabled in care of the State really do just fall through the cracks... :(

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Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.

I hear you Alois but it is good you can come here and off load all of those frustrations.

Some things you just cannot change eh?

Hang in there mate your chance of change is coming next year eh? :)

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True! So True! But I'm apprehensive of this as well... once I become an LPN... they are notorious at our facility for being nothing but "pill-pushers" I just hope I gain some real exp... but then in the long run it doesn't matter because I'm just going to be saving up for RN. ^_^ Hopefully I can get a scholarship not attached to my work for that too... ^_^

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You describe a common phenomenon for care of the DD in any state. One way to attack the problem is to work for equitable distribution of OT. In other words OT is granted based on the number of hours in a given year. Those with the fewest hours are granted OT first. Here is the kicker, if someone accepts OT for the shift they are credited for accepting 8 hours. This helps the OT go to the people with the lowest number of hours first. It is crazy that Management is allowing early outs in an OT situation.

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