maybe it's just me.....but can anyone explain to me why a nurse would want to work nine twelve-hour shifts in a row?
this is a staff nurse i'm referring to, and she was telling me how much overtime she has on her checks....something like forty hours of overtime (i'm assuming they pay every 2 weeks.) :uhoh21:
why on earth would anyone want to do this? what's bad is that by doing these kinds of hours, she is setting a precedent for all the other nurses on the unit - in other words, if she works sixty hours a week management will probably say "well, look at so-and-so, she works sixty hours per week, i guess the other nurses can do it, too!"
there are only a handful of staff nurses left, the rest are agency/travel nurses. there's no difference in this ms floor than any other. i'm wondering if this is the reason they can't keep staff.
they have one or two nurses willing to work constantly, so they expect the others to.....and no person in their right mind is going to want to work those hours, at least imho, unless they have some sort of emergency financial crisis.
i work with quite a few nurses that do that. not uncommon where i work. i don't think management expects everyone else to work like that, but i am sure they feel lucky to have her. i work with a nurse that told me she has worked as much as 180hrs a pay period. she says she does it because she truly just likes to work and she likes having big paychecks (of course). she would work 5 16hr shifts and the remainder would be a 8 hour day. she did this between 2 hospitals. the most i have worked in one week was 65 hours and i was exhausted. i don't know how they do it. i like to have a life outside of work :)
As long as she can handle it and do a good job I see nothing wrong with that....More power to her:)
i work with quite a few nurses that do that. not uncommon where i work. i don't think management expects everyone else to work like that, but i am sure they feel lucky to have her. i work with a nurse that told me she has worked as much as 180hrs a pay period. she says she does it because she truly just likes to work and she likes having big paychecks (of course). she would work 5 16hr shifts and the remainder would be a 8 hour day. she did this between 2 hospitals. the most i have worked in one week was 65 hours and i was exhausted. i don't know how they do it. i like to have a life outside of work :)
Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.
Looks like too much interest in what others are doing. Of course unless it is affecting me in the manner of having to write someone up for sleeping on the job. Otherwise, just work your butt of if you like.
I have a situation where I live far away from where I work, 450 miles to be exact. Mike
450 miles! ye gods Mike, that's quite a commute! Hats off to you! I used to feel badly done by when my work was 90 minutes from my home and I was 8 months pregnant. I can't hold a candle to that.
then why am i working basically for free when i work more than two extra shifts in one pay period?
those who i know who do ot have figured out a system- you have to work a certain amount per pp to make it worth your while (don't know what it is). like maybe you have to do 3 instead of 2 shifts. these people plot their schedules very carefully, so as to maximize their check. me, personally can not handle that kind of work.
Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.
As long as she can handle it and do a good job I see nothing wrong with that....More power to her:)
Unfortunately it's rarely the case that people can handle that kind of OT. Because my hospital unit is so shortstaffed, people sign up for all sort of OT and their work quality declines, in my experience.
Recently, we had a person assigned to do a one on one assignment with a patient. the house super came through looking for someone to work an extra shift with that patient. Person volunteered to do so because "I need the hours." She fell asleep "watching" the person (before her first shift was half-over) and he fell on his head.
Even in the absence of actually falling asleep, work quality will suffer; patience goes down, errors go up. Anyone who believes they can work more and more hours (translating into less and less sleep) without consequence to the patient is fooling him/herself.
I have to work crazy 5-7 12's in a row in order to schedule time off for when my little girl has chemo... Do I like it? No! I try my best to do the best job possible, but I need the hours to keep the benefits and continue my degree, which I graduate this may 2005... I make more money than my hubby did, so we made a family decision that our baby girl ( 13 and not really a baby anymore) would never spend a night alone at the hospital or elsewhere. Just keep in mind that people do what they have to do... Does my quality of work suffer, NO!!!.... Would a normal 40 hr week be more likeable or ideal??? you betcha, but unfortunately not all of us have the luxury, but my patients get the best care that I can give and because of the hours at work I feel I am hypervigilent in preventing errors.... I am handling it and thankGOD I can..
i have to work crazy 5-7 12's in a row in order to schedule time off for when my little girl has chemo... do i like it? no! i try my best to do the best job possible, but i need the hours to keep the benefits and continue my degree, which i graduate this may 2005... i make more money than my hubby did, so we made a family decision that our baby girl ( 13 and not really a baby anymore) would never spend a night alone at the hospital or elsewhere. just keep in mind that people do what they have to do... does my quality of work suffer, no!!!.... would a normal 40 hr week be more likeable or ideal??? you betcha, but unfortunately not all of us have the luxury, but my patients get the best care that i can give and because of the hours at work i feel i am hypervigilent in preventing errors.... i am handling it and thankgod i can..
keep up the good work, slinkee. i can't imagine anyone would question your choices. not everyone is doing it for the same reasons. sure we all need $$. don't forhet to take care of yourself (something we mommies and nurses forget to do. and god bless you and your 'baby'.
a nurse doing overtime is sure not the reason there is a shortage. i would be glad to tell you why there is.
maybe it's just me.....but can anyone explain to me why a nurse would want to work nine twelve-hour shifts in a row?
this is a staff nurse i'm referring to, and she was telling me how much overtime she has on her checks....something like forty hours of overtime (i'm assuming they pay every 2 weeks.) :uhoh21:
why on earth would anyone want to do this? what's bad is that by doing these kinds of hours, she is setting a precedent for all the other nurses on the unit - in other words, if she works sixty hours a week management will probably say "well, look at so-and-so, she works sixty hours per week, i guess the other nurses can do it, too!"
there are only a handful of staff nurses left, the rest are agency/travel nurses. there's no difference in this ms floor than any other. i'm wondering if this is the reason they can't keep staff.
they have one or two nurses willing to work constantly, so they expect the others to.....and no person in their right mind is going to want to work those hours, at least imho, unless they have some sort of emergency financial crisis.
Where I work there is a new policy which limits the number of shifts one can work in a week to 5 12 hour shifts, also only 36 continuous hours, and a few other limiting factors. This includes the physicians also. I work for a magnet hospital that is very concious about patient safety. They also protect their nurses.
I used to work a ton of OT. When I worked post partum I did as many as 16 12's in a row. Heck I even worked OT as an LPN during RN school.
I can't seem to do it now, last year the most I did was 9 in a row, but I'm getting tired easier and my work does suffer so the most ill do is 5 and thats rare. I prefer to work 4 one week and 3 the next.
It's partly the money and partly from bordom. I love to spend time with my family but they get sick of me after a while and I'm used to haveing to be somewhere. If Im in the house too much I get cranky.
I kinda wish I were'nt getting old and tired more easily. I like working and the money is great many times we get double time where i work
explorer
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