What is your schedule like as a nurse?

[Yerani27]

In terms of working in the hospital, I heard that overtime and night shifts are mandatory. However, how often do nurses work overtime or do night shifts? Is it mandatory for nurses to be on call and work double shifts? I also heard how nurses aren't being paid for overtime. Specifically, there was this article I read online that talked about how nurses are working during their breaks and not getting paid for that amount of time. Is this something that any of you nurses have experienced. Thank you so much for all your answers! =)

I also wanted to share this article with all of you that I read recently. It basically talks nurses going on strike in the San Francisco Bay area due to overtime violations as well as other issues. The managers had to hire travel nurses to take their place. The travel nurses also complained of overtime violations. One of the nurses mentioned that she wasn't paid the proper amount for 20 hours a week of overtime. This is the article: Nurse Scab says Overtime Pay a Problem

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

I should add - sometimes we have to delay lunch (or breaks though breaks are extremely unlikely) until a procedure has ended or the critical part is over. When you have no lunch break and leave instead of taking one, we clock out "no lunch." (Employment law in our state mandates only one 30 minute lunch per shift >6 hours). Worse is being called in, overnight, or over the weekend and not being offered a chance to go to the bathroom for 8 hours. Or you know, working 11 hours the day before, going home, eating dinner, working out, taking the dog for a walk, winding down for the evening, getting 2 MAYBE 3 hours of sleep, and getting called back in for 9 hours with no break/lunch. Though, that is NOT an every day occurrence. It happens sometimes, and that sometimes is more of a rarity.

[Yerani27]

Unfortunately, it's very common for nurses to miss breaks and not be paid, even if there is a union. Most nurses do not want to make waves and submit for missed breaks.

I work permanent days and we often miss breaks dealing with resident, staff or family issues as they arise. Managers are not paid overtime.

When I worked nights we would submit overtime slips and be compensated. However, we were also aware that submitting OT on a regular basis was discouraged by management.

That's sad that nurses don't stand up for themselves sometimes. I feel like usually the mentality is that you should let insignificant situations go for your own sanity and to not waste time. However, nurses work extremely hard and deserve to be compensated accordingly! I hope things change for nurses. I was wondering why submitting OT on a regular basis is discouraged by management. Is it just because they want to save money?

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I work 3-12s; weekend option so Sat/Sun and another weekday. Sometimes there are opportunities for an extra shift and I will work one extra shift in a 2 week period if I feel like it. We are lucky that we enough people that like to pick up an extra shift when they can. We also were just offered an FTE 1.0 position where you would work 3 days one week and 4 the next. If I wasn't starting school in Jan,. I would have done it. I also sit on a couple of committees that give me a few extra hours. We are not pressured to work overtime and it certainly never mandatory.

[anon456, BSN, RN]

I have never had to work a mandatory OT shift. Nurses are hired either day shift or night shift and that's what they stick with, and night shifters are paid slightly more. Some holidays are mandatory but they are fairly distributed and people take turns. We are required to work a set number of weekends per scheduling period. So far if we are short staffed the hospital will temp people to pick up shifts by offering time and a half for certain times of year (such as flu season). There was one night when mandatory OT was discussed, when a high number of people had called out sick and there were not enough nurses to cover patients, but then some people called in volunteering, and the crisis was averted.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Yes the goal is saving money at the expense of staff. That's why burnout rates are high.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I was wondering why submitting OT on a regular basis is discouraged by management.

Overtime pay supposedly busts the hospital's budget at my place of employment. Therefore, overtime is to be avoided where I work, and nurses must be off the clock no more than five minutes after the shift ends.

Healthcare is a business, first and foremost. To the bean counters, nurses are replaceable cogs in a massive profit machine.

[NYTramaRN, RN]

I work ED 3 or 4 12hr evening (11-2300) shifts a week depending on how my schedule falls.

I can sign up for OT; occasionally I'm asked if I like to stay a few hours over while on shift, at my discretion.

I'm in the north east U.S., and if there's a prediction of a big snow fall I will bring sleep over stuff and and extra uniform.

I'm in a union hospital and there is a no mandatory clause in the contract. I'm also a union delegate, so I know that none of that nonsense goes on in the building. The staff knows when to show up and pull for the team: 911 was a good example... all 3 shifts were at the ED by 11 am, and not a phone call was made.

[2011RN]

We currently have the option of 8's or 12's where I work, hours must total to 80 per pay period. We do have mandatory OT and it happens quite frequently here.

[Racer15, BSN, RN]

I work ER. Been there three years. We are required to work every other weekend, and have mandatory overtime every other week. Sometimes I get lunch breaks, a lot of times I don't. A lot of the nurses want the overtime so it frustrates me that it isn't optional.

[Everline]

I work 3 12s (nights) a week. We self-schedule and, for the most part anyway, get what we ask for. We do not have mandatory OT, but we are allowed to pick up extra shifts if we choose, day or night, no matter what shift we normally work. (We don't rotate. You are either permanent days or permanent nights.) I often work through my breaks and that's just...life. I almost always get out of work within 15-20 minutes after my shift ends, with occasional hellish exceptions where I am there 45 minutes or so after.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

I live in Texas. I work three 12 hour shifts per week and OT is completely optional. I have never been subjected to mandatory OT. I've stayed past my 12 hours waiting to give report to someone (oncoming nurse running late or whatever). I also do not work night shift unless I choose to. I typically work through my meal break because I'm just too busy to take one and everyone else is too busy to watch my patients :/

[cynmrn]

When I worked full time at the local hospital (am currently on call), I worked 3 12 hour shifts. Overtime is pretty much always available, but never mandatory. There are times when I've worked through my breaks/lunch when it's been especially busy, but technically, we are able to claim this time and be paid for it if we fill out an edit sheet.