Called Off

I got called off work today for the first time. I got up at 5am and took my shower and was getting ready in the bathroom when the phone rang.... There were only 3 postpartum patients there and they all were going home today. So, me and a handfull of others were called off.

Mark commented that he never heard of a job where they could call you and tell you NOT to work. But, the hospital cannot justify paying 7 OB nurses with only 3 patients.... So, unfortunately this is what can happen.

Another possibility (which wouldn't happen while I am still on orientation), is that you could be "pulled" from your floor with a low census to other floors that have a high census. This is a very unpopular option.... OB nurses are sheltered and pretty much separated from the rest of the hospital.... We go into the locked OB unit and don't really emerge until our shift is over. From what I hear, when we go to the other floors to work, it is less than ideal.

We are so specialized that being able to function independently on med/surg floors is unreasonable. We have to be paired up with another RN and get used as LPNs or Aids, mainly. And, when med/surg nurses get pulled to the OB unit, they cannot function independently, either. They have to be paired up with an RN and can only work with postpartum moms and babies.... They aren't trained to be OB nurses and we aren't trained to be med/surg nurses. So, generally, we all would almost rather be called off than be pulled.

But, then you have the fact that when you are called off you are not paid for those hours. I was doing the math today and I lost a pretty penny for having an extra day off this week. But, what can you do.

I did some crocheting this weekend. I finished Lance's hat. Pictures soon. And I started a new project. More on that later.