Weekends with "on-call rotation"???

Trauma_Llama · Nov 11, 2015

Is this facility a trauma center? The reason I ask is because I am shocked they offered a nurse with no OR experience a night shift position. Usually experienced OR nurses work these shifts because you have basically no resources at night and if the facility is a trauma center, which I assume it is if it is staffed over night, things can go very bad very fast.

Night shifts can either be insanely boring where you don't get a single call all night or you can run your butt off the entire shift, you just never know. I have been an OR nurse for four years and I still get nervous working overnights.

You would have to ask the manager what exactly their on call rotation consists of because it could mean anything from holidays to weekday call, it is hard to say.

Nurse_Lightning · Nov 11, 2015

Is this facility a trauma center? The reason I ask is because I am shocked they offered a nurse with no OR experience a night shift position. Usually experienced OR nurses work these shifts because you have basically no resources at night and if the facility is a trauma center, which I assume it is if it is staffed over night, things can go very bad very fast.

They give new OR nurses an extensive 6 - 9 month orientation. I'll always have someone with me, and they'll require me to work full time during the training. Hopefully this will prep me. Yes, we're a Level II Trauma Center

SandraFenway · Nov 12, 2015

How are you going to finish NP school with daytime hours if you are in a FT OR training program? The training will likely be FT on day shift with an assigned preceptor. I think you need to to ask your OR recruiter for clarifications. Agree with Trauma_Llama, "on-call rotation" could be many things. Don't under estimate how long it will take to be trained. The OR is a very different beast, especially with the expectation that you'll be on weekend nights.

Nurse_Lightning · Nov 12, 2015

How are you going to finish NP school with daytime hours if you are in a FT OR training program? The training will likely be FT on day shift with an assigned preceptor. I think you need to to ask your OR recruiter for clarifications. Agree with Trauma_Llama, "on-call rotation" could be many things. Don't under estimate how long it will take to be trained. The OR is a very different beast, especially with the expectation that you'll be on weekend nights.

Well, assuming 12 hour shifts, "Full Time" would be only 36 hours (3 days/week). This still gives me 4 days for clinical hours.

However, if they are expecting me to train Mon - Fri day hours, you're right, this would be problematic.

I did list on my application that I was a FNP student, so this shouldn't be a suprise. This is one of the topics to be discussed at the interview. Along with "on-call" rotation.

The good news is that this semester is almost over, and next semester I could easily knock out all of my clinical hours by the end of February 2016. I have no Summer courses, so this would give me at least March 2016 - August 2016 clinical-free. That's a solid 6 months where I could do full-time orientation... if the position is still open and they're willing to work with me.

t&g0913 · Nov 12, 2015

I would take "on call rotation" to mean that you're on call, on a rotation.

Nurse_Lightning · Nov 12, 2015

I would take "on call rotation" to mean that you're on call, on a rotation.

Right.

Ok, let me clarify.

FOR ANYONE WHO HAS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, does on-call rotation mean that even though I'm strictly weekend staff, I'd have to be on-call during the week?

I'll already be working 12 hour shifts EVERY weekend. Will I be forced to stay till 16+ hours only on the weekends?

t&g0913 · Nov 12, 2015

I would probably ask that specific hospital.

Trauma_Llama · Nov 12, 2015

Right.
Ok, let me clarify.
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, does on-call rotation mean that even though I'm strictly weekend staff, I'd have to be on-call during the week?
I'll already be working 12 hour shifts EVERY weekend. Will I be forced to stay till 16+ hours only on the weekends?

Every hospital is going to have a different way of allocating call. Some places have salaried on call staff that cover most of the call, others don't. Unless someone here actually works in the department you are going to we really can't answer that question. I work 12hr shifts during the week but every month I have to work a Saturday and yes sometimes I work my shift and then I am on call for another 12 hours and I have had to work for 17 straight hours before. On call structures and rotations can be very complicated so you will just have to ask. Sorry.

SandraFenway · Nov 13, 2015

Well stated. We all have personal experience; enough to know that different ORs may have different mechanisms of "on call rotation"! The original poster really needs to have the OR recruiter explain their specific system. Oh, and the original poster should ask how standby and callback is compensated. Some facilities don't pay for standby(!). Open eyes will lead to a better outcome for everyone.

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 14, 2015

Is this facility a trauma center? The reason I ask is because I am shocked they offered a nurse with no OR experience a night shift position. Usually experienced OR nurses work these shifts because you have basically no resources at night and if the facility is a trauma center, which I assume it is if it is staffed over night, things can go very bad very fast.
Night shifts can either be insanely boring where you don't get a single call all night or you can run your butt off the entire shift, you just never know. I have been an OR nurse for four years and I still get nervous working overnights.
You would have to ask the manager what exactly their on call rotation consists of because it could mean anything from holidays to weekday call, it is hard to say.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. How many people are staffed during weekend nights? Who will you be able to utilize as a resource?

Also, would you be able to cope with the stress of not only being in NP school but also of learning an entirely new specialty where the orientation is extremely long, the learning curve steep, and the comfort level takes about a year to achieve?

As for wanting "FOR ANYONE WHO HAS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE" you would have to clarify the exact name of the facility for which you've received an offer. Every facility does their call requirements per their policies, which are not going to be identical. The best course of action would have been to ask this question during the interview. However, you need clarification prior to accepting or rejecting the offer so that you can make an informed decision. This would mean contacting either HR or the OR manager.

BiotoBSNtoFNP · Nov 14, 2015

I have no idea what a weekend job with on call rotation means. I am also not in the OR. But! I did want to comment on your inquiry abt working the sat and sun night shift. I think it would be very helpful to work weekends while in Np school as long as you dont have class or clinical on mondays. Have you worked night shift before? Some people do not do well with it and you do not want to struggle during the week staying awake during the day since you have clinical. But, if youre not concerned with switching days and nights then this sched sounds good (assuming you wont be working the on call shifts during the week). Many of my classmates (including myself) working sat and sun and did class/clinical during the week. You could still have a night out on friday as needed. If you dont have family obligations on sat/suns that you would be upset that youd miss, then weekends is the best sched for fnp school in my mind!

Although, as others have said, learning a new specialty is difficult but as you know, youd have to ask more questions abt the training schedule in the interview.