What is appropriate during work hours?

[Nursetravel246]

Just curious. I’m an RN Case Manager for a hospice company. I’ve been there about 6months and am starting to not like my job. I’m getting burned out from the constant responsibility. Even when it’s not your scheduled day to see patients, you get calls regarding them. You can get new admits on a daily basis and have to work them into your schedule. And patients and their families can be so picky about times they are seen which makes it really inconvenient to be driving back and forth. I usually put my foot down but sometimes they are so pushy. And the on call is ridiculous. I already work full time and then am expected to work an extra shift and likely get woken up in the middle of the night to work some more. On weekends we are on call for 24 hrs at a time.

Enough venting. My main question is, for other home care nurses, how flexible are your working hours? I feel like I am tied to the phone from 7:30am-5pm. If I don’t answer the phone right away I feel like I will get in trouble. I’ve heard other home care nurses who go to appointments or kids’ school performances during the day. My question is, do they take that day off or squeeze it into their work day, and if so, is that appropriate? This position is just not as flexible as I thought it would be. I am ready to leave. Any thoughts?

[GapRN]

Flexible. LOL. you can work your 60+ hours per week any time you want!

I spoke to a lawyer who said I should get overtime even if I'm paid per visit. those on call weekends should be $480/8hr + per visit rate.

But agencies won't pay OT and I don't want to work 60 hours anyway.

I just stopped working after 40 hours and refused on-call, and refused to sign paperwork saying I was a part time employee. Eventually they fired me for trumped up BS.

If you don't like the job enough to do it for free then start looking for new specialty.

[Nursetravel246]

I hear you. There aren’t many professions that are treated like nurses. I think I may have to look elsewhere for a job. I’d honestly like to leave nursing altogether but am struggling to find other jobs that pay as well.

[caliotter3]

I work in home health and got fed up with not being paid state-mandated overtime for shifts longer than eight hours. I just stopped accepting twelve hour shift cases and refuse to work for an agency that won’t provide eight hour shifts. This is also one of the reasons I no longer do intermittent visit work either. I don’t have to worry about any of these agencies bothering me with calls once I stop playing their little labor law game with built-in memorized guilt trip speeches. Unfortunately I found I couldn’t get work at all unless it was nursing, so I am stuck until I stop working altogether.