Working for FREE!!!!???

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I finally received a job offer after more than 6 months of searching as a new grad. The job is with an LTC, the pay sounded great until after I started talking and observing nurses. I have been told not only by several of the nurses but also administrative that it is basically impossible to get paid past your shift, and nobody ever gets out on time. Most of the nurses stay at least an hour after their shift and do not get paid. Today I shadowed an RN who was still charting 2 hours past her shift (I finally left while she was still charting so I have no idea what time she finally got out). I will NOT work for free!! I am so upset that all of my hard work and sacrifices that I went through to obtain my BSN has come to this.

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That is common practice in LTC. I would stay clocked in though

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Specializes in Med Surg.

The reason I left my previous - salaried -career was because I was working too much for free. This is also the reason I worked my buns off to get healthcare experience and a 4.0 GPA in nursing school.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

There is a liability issue here, if you are on the premises and get hurt and not on the clock you wont be covered.That is a big problem, I am sure the administrator knows it. They probably are more concerned about their budget than legalities. I worked somewhere exactly like this. They wouldn't let you stay late, but expected you to do medicare charting, two weekly skin assessments each shift and quarterly assessments that were due....not to mention anything that happened that we MUST chart to cover ourselves. It came down to whoever was on call for the nurses...had to OK our OT. So we had to call them...and give an estimate on how much longer we were going to need to finish....and be there only for that length of time.

Focus on time management. Go to your DNS and ask for tips and strategies. They will be glad to help someone with that... if you seek it out. You have to keep it moving. If someone wants to talk to me...I say walk with me and tell me. You know, I wanted to get out on time as much as they wanted me to, but I needed to get quality charting done too, so I would try different things to see what worked the best. Such as doing my skin assessments before my first med pass, then my Medicare charting directly after my first med pass ( at least half) then after last med pass..hopefully do remaining needed charting and new stuff and be done.

Now...if you have something happen...such as a resident going south, falls, resident to resident altercations, skin tears, admissions, ...its a given that you will need more time to complete the requirements that goes with those issues and you probably won't get done in time.

Its frustrating no doubt. Best wishes. Just because your orientation nurse is there that long every shift doesn't mean you will be, don't freak out. You will see that some nurses are always late getting done, and some are usually done on time. Try to come in early about fifteen minutes too...to get your brain sheet/ report sheet figured out, look around see what's going on.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Just know that there are some nurses who actually DO get out on time. But they are extremely focused and wizards with time mgt.

They are NOT social butterflies; yes to friendly and socially polite, but they don't waste time looking at your kids' candy bar catalogs or looking at you new doggie pix. They keep the personal phone calls/texts down to an absolute bare minimum. And they ate their breakfast at home so they're not walking around making coffee & eating cereal. And they don't chit-chat with the social worker, dietician or maint man as they push the med cart down the hall. And they are non-smokers.

It is a job to them and they don't want to waste any time. It usually comes with experience.

Just for an experiment - watch others for time-wasting activities and you'll see it happening.

I'm somewhere in-between the 2 groups, esp the times when I have to wear 2 hats (supervisor & floor nurse).

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

DOL requires non-exempt employees be paid for hours worked. At my first hospital, someone reported them for unfair labor practices, so Everyone got a settlement based on the time worked. Individuals didn't have to prove how much time they had "donated" up tone point.

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I don't understand why anyone would work for free at any point. Why not just file a complaint with the Dept of Labor? They have easy online forms. It's a wage violation. Whether you're late or a "social butterfly" or whatever, they still have an obligation to pay you if you are there and working. I would never clock out and then work in any situation.

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Specializes in Med Surg.
Just know that there are some nurses who actually DO get out on time. But they are extremely focused and wizards with time mgt..

Oh please. They are wizards at one thing: getting out on time. Easy to do when you don't take care of patients.

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I finally received a job offer after more than 6 months of searching as a new grad. The job is with an LTC the pay sounded great until after I started talking and observing nurses. I have been told not only by several of the nurses but also administrative that it is basically impossible to get paid past your shift, and nobody ever gets out on time. Most of the nurses stay at least an hour after their shift and do not get paid. Today I shadowed an RN who was still charting 2 hours past her shift (I finally left while she was still charting so I have no idea what time she finally got out). I will NOT work for free!! I am so upset that all of my hard work and sacrifices that I went through to obtain my BSN has come to this.[/quote']

This is common in LTC. Sorry;(

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This is common in LTC. Sorry;(

Know where it's NOT common?

Unionized facilities!

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Specializes in Oncology.
Know where it's NOT common?Unionized facilities!
Nope, my unionized facility will make this happen as much as you'll let them. They threaten you with discipline if you take "unapproved overtime" so you can't take even 15 minutes without approval. The approval process involves stopping what you're doing, paging the supervisor, waiting for them to call back, pleading your case, then hoping they'll grant you the max they're allowed of 30 minutes. If you need more than that, be prepared to call the director of nursing. Then you need to file paperwork stating why you weren't able to get out on time and who you got OT approval from. Many people figure they could be done wrapping things up by the time they jump through all those hoops, which is exactly what they're hoping you'll think to try and get you to work off the clock. I won't do it. I'll take extra OT for the time it took to get it approved and put that on my paperwork too. Our own acuity system often shows the assignments I get would take 17 hours to care for based on acuity needs over my shift, so if I get it done in 13 they should be thankful I'm such a wizard of time management and a real bargain. God help you if you have a change of shift emergency. In management's mind you should just be able to let the next shift take over right in the midst of things and waltz out unscathed at 7:30.

Our union sucks and is clueless about what is going on, hiding their heads in the sand even after numerous reports. It's money just thrown out from every paycheck.

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Thank you everyone for responding, I shadowed another really good nurse today and heard the same story about not being paid for working past their shift (that makes 5 of them telling me so far). There is a time clock in another part of the building so they do not leave the nurses station to clock out and then resume work so I really don't have a clue how this place is getting away with not paying, I guess nobody wants to fight for it since they are just happy to be employed.They hustle, hustle, hustle! No lunch or breaks are allowed- seriously they might be able to take a restroom break once during the whole shift. I am in awe on how each nurse is responsible for around 18 subacute residents with 2 med passes and treatments and am disgusted that mgmt. says that if the nurses don't get out on time then they have a problem with time-mgmt. Ummm noone gets out on time!!! I can understand if a couple of nurses stay late but ALL of them do. I am really just appalled that a company can take advantage of the economy and really do this to its nurses. At least I am fortunate that I can turn down this position.

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