WHY??

[Julie_RN2b]

Hi everyone! My unit was just told that starting next week our pt assignmt will not be posted until 5 min until shift starts...there are some nurses including myself that arrive to work early..on our time(not clocking in early) to look at our kardexs and prepare our brian sheets...we are not doing anything except looking at kardexs in the report room, it helps us all feel alittle more prepared for our day and more prepared to take report..according to our supervisor, she said that our legal departmt is sayin its a "legal issue" and they will no longer allow staff to come in early as we have done for yrs. I dont understand why this is a legal issue? We are no doing any pt care..doing nothing but looking at the kardexs...and we are not asking to be paid...does anyone know why this would be a legal issue? I really need the extra time to feel prepared..it has been my routine since i started 2 yrs ago i am very upset about this and just do not understand why it would all of a sudden be an issue?? I could understand if we were asking to be paid for the time or jumping in and doing pt care..we dont even anwser the phones??! Does anyone understand this? Ive talked with my supervisor and explained to her that I really need that time..she says its not her, its our legal departmt. If anyone has any suggestions as to how I can keep my routine I would greatly apprecated!!! I do it for myself and Im not and would never expect to be paid for this time.

[Flying ICU RN]

Expect the worst and you'll never be disapointed, LMAO

As an aside, I really love pictures like that. my grandfather, whom I never got to meet, was a radio operator on a B-17 Flying Fortress in WWII and even received the Distinguished Flying Cross. I am fascinated by B-17s and aircraft in general. Maybe that is why I want to become a flight nurse. Thanks for the photo

Now that was a lot of flak. Terrible numbers for those crews, I hope your grandfather did come home.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Having you there off the clock is a huge liability for them. If you were to see a patient fall or something, you'd be obligated to help, however, not covered under their Liability Insurance as you were off the clock. There's also the labor laws, as well, as mentioned. If someone really wanted to push it, they could probably conceivably say this is a HIPAA violation, as you're only suppose to know the minimum about a patient to care for them at that time. If you're not caring for them yet, that amount of information is nothing.

[One2gofst]

Now that was a lot of flak. Terrible numbers for those crews, I hope your grandfather did come home.

He did, or else I wouldn't be here! The mission he got the Distinguished Flying Cross for, they didn't expect any of the planes to make it back and I believe 3 did, his being one of them. His name even is printed in a book, "Gore And Glory" about it. Of course, the author of the book spelled it wrong

Sorry for the thread drift.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

It is due to the law, very plain and simply. Our hospital also recently cracked down on the same thing; coming in to prep before the start of your shift off the clock. It is working without being paid, even if you consider it "personal time" that you use to prep. In their eyes, you are working (and they are correct). The facility can get in SERIOUS trouble for letting the practice occur and continue.