Weekend On-Call Hospice RN Questions

tewdles, RN · Aug 4, 2010

I would invite you to peruse the related threads in this specialty...

the answers to your question vary from location to location, agency to agency, and nurse to nurse.

ErinS, BSN, RN · Aug 8, 2010

Our weekend on-call is salaried and actually make quite a bit less than the M-F pay per visit nurses. I think this job requires you to be the most confident in your skills and assessment. Our weekend nurse can have really crazy weekends with multiple admits, deaths, and changes in status. Sometimes they have slow weekends with only a few visits. But you never know what will come up and for most of the weekend you are on your own in my agency (other than 1 other nurse 8a-5p Sat and Sun).

TXNurseyRN · Aug 9, 2010

Thank you so much for the info. I had an interview at that particular hospice, and the salary they offered me was not too good. I would actually be taking a pretty substantial cut in pay from what I'm making as a floor nurse, so I will be declining that position if it is offered to me. Hopefully I will be able to find a position that offers me more money. I may end up working M-F, which will be a HUGE change from working 3 12's per week. I wonder if I'll like M-F. I feel like that is the only thing that is holding me back right now from persuing home health and other hospice jobs. If you have anymore info on that aspect of it, please let me know. Thanks again!

ErinS, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2010

There are many weeks when I think 'I wish I only had 3 12's again'. In general though, my schedule is very flexible and I feel like a normal person working 5 8's. Another thing about hospice- if you love it, you become willing to do things you might not for a floor job. I just went back to work today after a week off, and I felt better at the end of my day just because of seeing my amazing patients and their families. So worth it

ljbristow53 · May 18, 2011

I know this thread is old, but someone may still be curious. My company hired me to work 0800 friday until 0800 monday. I am salaried, and my pay was made to be commensurate with my pay at the hospital. I am an experienced ICU RN, so my wage at the hospital, though not stellar, was not at the low end. On friday I make a few regular visits, if needed, until my real on call starts at 1700. Some weekends are from hell, a few (very few) weekends I may not make a single visit. And I have to admit, it's nice to know exactly what you make every week, there are no days you get called off.

hospicechpn · May 21, 2011

What state do you live in? I'm in California and work after hours on-call, though it is configured to be a full-time positon. I'm salaried. If you have a patient who is having a symptom management crisis requiring your to stay in the home until the next shift nurse arrives to relieve you are you paid any extra beyond your base salary? Are you paid for attending mandatory meetings and inservices?

ljbristow53 · May 22, 2011

I live in Oklahoma. I'm not payed extra for spending more time with the patient. But, I'm lucky, we're a very tight, flexible group. Because I'm not the primary case manager for any patient, the assigned CM would be responsible for that patient after my time ends. I wouldn't leave the pt. but someone would be making an effort to get me out if possible. As to the mandatory inservices... are you kidding? No they don't pay for that. Fortunately there is a lot of flexibility made for me, because of that. My contract time is 0800 Fri to 0800 Mon., but because we have a meeting of most staff at 0830 Mon., everyone knows I don't usually start before 1100 on Fri., and generally that works out. Because I am not a primary CM for any particular pt., I don't go to IDG meetings unless I want to. I try to make it occassionaly, just so the Medical Directors I talk to on call, know who I am.