Negotiating Full Times Hours scheduled

[Brittmk]

I am a PA in a rural community and am salaried. We use to work 4 days a week, take call for the ER about 1 day a week (no weekend ER) and was on-call every 5-8th weekend for admissions and in-patients. Now that the ER is fully staffed, the administration decided to make us work 4.5 days a week. We continue to take call for admissions, nursing questions from the patient care unit, and nursing home calls. We are trying to negotiate to have back our 4 day/week (scheduled for 32 hours, but we are always there longer than that!) due to the amt of call we continue to take. We have lost 5 providers (mainly because of the last changes in our contract) and have more weekend call (every 4-5th weekend) and 1 -2 days on weekdays. Some weekends I will have over 15 in-patient visits which includes several trips to the hospital to do admissions.

Any input would be helpful. I would be especially would be interested on how many hours are scheduled for others PAs in a similar on-call schedule.

Thanks,

Brittney

[ventana]

wow that us tough. Sometimes the exodus of staff signals the administration that something is wrong, and other times it just means you have to work harder and admin doesn't get it.

 

Saw a similiar situation with the local hospital PA's got forced to do call. They did not unify and the administration just rolled over them.

 

Most the damage is done in that you are already at a 4.5 day week - the best time to stop this is before the additional days get added.

 

Certainly a frank discussion has to happen between the providers that got forced to work more time - do any of you have written contracts? If so follow the letter of the law.

 

Then after the group discussion you should meet with admin to further discuss with the conclusions that were made by the group. (be very careful speaking for others as what people say in a group many times is not what they will tell the boss and it will leave you hanging out to dry) A big point is that the facility is not generating a lot more (an additional 1/2 day on a 4 day work week is a 12.5% increase in billable visits - and you all should be compensated for it. I used the arguement that - "I could go work a per diem job for $65/hr on my day off so if you want me to work that day you need to pay me the same, but realize that I want a 4 day work week and if does not return to this I will be looking for other employment"

 

Tough to threaten them if you are really rural and you would have to uproot you whole family (they know this) but try not to let them take advantage of you.

 

 

I really think standing together with all midlevels is the key - you might have to accept less (because some of the group members are not as comfortable with demanding) but it is really the only way to have any say against admin of a hospital (in my experience)

 

good luck and keep us updated.