Who here works overtime for the extra cash?

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How much do hospitals allow you and what is the structure of it?

Is it easy to work the extra hours for the cash?

Does it start right after 8 hrs in a day? or after 40 hrs in a week?

I really want to work like crazy early on until I finally learn that its stupid to burn yourself out over money

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
How much do hospitals allow you and what is the structure of it?

Is it easy to work the extra hours for the cash?

Does it start right after 8 hrs in a day? or after 40 hrs in a week?

I really want to work like crazy early on until I finally learn that its stupid to burn yourself out over money

the hospital i used to work at was so understaffed, after my boss made the schedule she would put up a list of OT needs and people would fill in where they wanted to pick up. you could work all day everyday if you wanted to. one year for christmas, i was really strapped for cash, so i worked 14 12-hr night shifts in a row before i just about passed out from exhaustion.

we got paid on a bi weekly schedule, so our set schedule was 3 12's one week (fri, sat, sun usually), and 4 12's the next, so it ended up being about 42 hrs per week, give or take the incremental OT from shift report, etc. we could then pick up OT as we wanted from there.

be careful. i learned my lesson from working so much...no amt of money is worth my health anymore.

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At my hospital, we have a system called "I-Shift" (I guess its pretty much Bidshift) and we can pretty much go online and sign up to as many open shifts as we want..so plenty of opportunity for OT. What's also good is that some floors (I guess depending on the need) will pay premium such as time and a half..or time and 3/4. We have shifts available online called "virtual shifts" in which they just about put you in any floor that really needs the help (I'm only limited to med/surg for now because I work in a surgical unit)- and they are ALL time and 3/4 shifts premium pay. I don't work much overtime..but I know this week I've worked 44 hours PLUS the holiday. I definitely wouldn't do it all the time though...

ETA: overtime starts after 40 hours.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

My facility pays overtime for anything beyond 40 hours in a work week.

I work the weekend double shift, which entails working two 16-hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday. Since I receive 5 days off in a row, I regularly pick up extra shifts during the weekdays.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

And by the way, I work overtime for the extra cash. I possess a "higher calling" to pad my bank account, and I don't know of any reasonable nurse who works extra shifts out of the genuinely heartfelt desire to help the hospital out with their staffing blunders. My motivation for working extra is purely monetary, since I do not provide healthcare to needy patients for free.

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I work overtime when I can get it, 97.3% for the cash (time and a half). As an aide it is readily available, since some of the other aides have no work ethic and call in all the time. I had 82 hrs (42 overtime) last week (pay week ending Tues) and will probably get more this week. I thinkI have been averaging about 50 hrs a week, and more now around Xmas.

Management likes to gripe when I do this and they see my hours, but then they turn around and call me in for a double shift on my day off. Go figure.

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

My basic position is three 11am-11pm per week (ER). My yearly total for this is about $72,000. If I do one extra 11a-11p each week, my gross jumps to $112,000. I can work all the OT I can handle, OT starts at 40 hours/week.

I find the extra shift each week is not hard to do, especially since I am on a normal sleep schedule. A smart hospital will pay OT before hiring agency-it's usually cheaper, and they have their own staff working instead of strangers.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Yup if all the sudden I'm worth more than I was an hour ago you betcha I'm on board. Holidays...sign me up! :)

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Specializes in Telemetry, Oncology, Progressive Care.

Some hospitals will also pay you a premium for working an extra shift. At my hospital they pay an extra $15.00/hour for an extra shift. This is on top of your regular pay and overtime.

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Specializes in Rural Health.

My schedule is 36 hours a week - however I have to work above 40 hours to get any OT. Since we all have set schedules at my full time job (same shifts each week) OT doesn't come up often unless someone goes on vacation and then PRN people are used most often.

At my PRN job we have critical need shifts that get paid out at $45/hr. If they are REALLY desperate they'll throw in $100 in cash too in addition to the $45/hr.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

My higher calling is extra bills and the incentive to submit more than just minimal payments due. I did wish to gain experience in other places in nursing, but the main deal is to get the cash.

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I don't work much OT for OT's sake. I work at a PRN job and bring more home than I would with making OT. After a few hours of OT you end up bringing home nothing extra due to taxes.

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