working conditions - average or not?

[knina]

I was lucky to get a .63 permanent part-time AHS RN job in Calgary and am able to pick up to full time, of which I am appreciative. The problem is exhaustion. I'm more tired than I have ever been in my life, even more so than when I was working my way through nursing school.

On my unit we are expected to work without breaks, short staffed and be available to stay late if needed on a daily basis. I haven't worked even one day in which I got legally mandated breaks, worked in a fully staffed environment and knew what time I was getting off work. We do get paid OT if we work late, but since we are expected to be available after every shift if needed, we can never make appointments or plans after work. It's kind of like being on call every day without (of course) being paid for it. Also, the rotations aren't contract compliant so I don't really get two weekends off per month because I work a night shift on the Friday night of one of my weekends "off".

Other than the working conditions, the position is a good opportunity and a good learning experience for me. I was hoping to get used to it, but I've been doing it for six months now and I'm always exhausted. I've stopped cooking, exercising and socializing since starting this job.

I realize these working conditions aren't contract compliant, but how similar is this situation to the actuality of other people's jobs?

[Dela RN]

I'm not surprised about your working conditions and I bet there are a lot of units that are working in similar situations however that does not mean this is the way it's suppose to be. PRC forms should be filled out if patient safety is in question and being understaffed and nurses missing breaks affects pt safety. Are you getting paid for missed breaks? Have you talked to your union about your concerns?

[Fiona59]

Your entire shift should be putting in the OT forms for missed breaks!

Nobody works for free, especially our esteemed higher ups in AHS.

Hot tail your body over to your UNA steward. That's what they are there for. Your manager is dire need of a whack around the back of the head.

[knina]

No, we don't get paid for missed breaks. The manager says to take them. It seems that a "no-break culture" developed out of a situation of long-term under staffing. I've noticed that I feel resentful towards colleagues when they call in sick, when the real issue is under staffing. I never felt resentful towards sick colleagues at my last job -- they replaced. The impatience with newer or slower colleagues also seems to come out of long-term under staffing. There just isn't any leeway.

I called UNA and felt better after talking to them.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

I'm glad you've spoken to UNA. They can't help you and your coworkers if they don't know you're in trouble. I agree that you all need to fill in OT slips for EVERY missed break, and PRC EVERY situation that puts patient safety at risk... whether anything bad happens or not. If a hazard exists, it needs reporting. Having said that, I also recommend photocopying every OT slip and every PRC form because these things have a tendency to fall behind filing cabinets or accidentally get mixed in with confidential waste, or even walk themselves into the shredder.

Another thing you could do is contact CARNA's practice consultant and enlist their support as relates to fitness to practice. If everyone on the unit is working long past the end of their scheduled shift and aren't getting breaks and don't have time to recharge between shifts or stretches of shifts, that all could negatively affect one's fitness to practice - overtired nurses can't really perform at their best. In turn should something reportable happen and one of you becomes the target of a CARNA investigation, that WILL come up. The practice consultant can offer suggestions and assistance in pointing the finger where it really belongs before the unthinkable happens.