[Poll: Twice-Weekly Pay]

Ok, now I see the 2 day pay in action…

 

Do I like it? No. I worked on a Sunday, got it Wednesday. Ok, cool? I’m not sure how the cutoffs work but I’m used to knowing everything gets paid out on Thursday (with early direct deposit) - and because I work NOC almost exclusively, every now and then 6 hours ends up on the next week - but I know that.

With this I was baffled. I still am, I think. What days go to which pay day? 
 

Daily pay would be great. 

[Poll: Twice-Weekly Pay]

I haven’t seen it in action yet, but I do know I’d be motivated to pick up more shifts if I was getting paid directly after. Unexpected bill…yep go grab a shift or two to cover it. Sometimes Thursday is a bit far away (my bank has early direct deposit) especially with me being the only one working currently and my kids being typical “hey I need $$ for this…no mom it’s tomorrow, oh yeah I never gave you that…” 🤣

[Please revise facilities contract]

On 10/12/2022 at 7:06 AM, Jamesha said:

Gm,

Its clearly spoken that I am not the only one going through the hassle of picking up shifts.  My opinion is towards nursa. To make them aware of the difficulties new staff are having coming onboard. As you mentioned being with nursa for over a year. This post doesn’t relate to you but thank you for your opinion. 
 

Nursa just needs to revise this 

NURSA provides you a safe and secure place to store your credentials, and find AVAILABLE  per-diem  work close to home or across the country in real-time.

 

It’s clear the shifts are NOT available if it’s given to another employee when you’ve requested it before them days prior.. Myself finding an agency job has nothing to do with new staff coming aboard. This will be an ongoing issue if it’s not addressed in a timely matter....

 

IF I have any questions forward. I will contact the management team. Have A GREAT DAY 

im sorry, I didn’t mean anything like that. Just sharing what helped me get more shifts because I definitely had this struggle for months, and still do sometimes. I try to always send a short note to introduce myself to one’s I haven’t been to yet, it keeps me from going in not knowing expectations, and makes them remember me for at least a moment. 
 

i hope it goes better for you in the future! 

[Finding shifts]

Actually, I noticed it kind of bugs when you have more than one state selected with mileage. But I live close to the border of Texas, I’m licensed there too, so it’s no issue for me to pop over there - it’s like 60 miles. When I did that though it pulled up shifts in San Antonio area…6 hours away lol - those maybe the only ones? But I don’t think so, I had a hard time believing there’s nothing in Fort Worth anymore. 
But since it’s using my location services, I’m goin to try it when I’m in Fort Worth tomorrow. 

[Feeling unsafe in your working environment?]

I left. I told them why and that I wasn’t going to be responsible for that many patients by myself on a locked wing - there are others in the building but sorry, not chasing them down if things go goofy. 
the best I can do is protect myself and my license. These facilities know when they’re doing wrong. 
I then wrote in to support about the incident. I wasn’t going to be marked as a NCNS because I refused to compromise myself. 

[Any ideas for future swag you'd think would be cool?]

Pens…good pens like gel ink. I can’t  be the only one with a major pen fetish. Plus it’s a good chance I’ll lose one and Nursa gets some free advertising. 
Sharpies would be cool too. 
notepads- so I have somewhere to use the pen?
 

Tote bags? I mean I carry one to work with me to hold everything and my work bag I keep stocked with stuff I wouldn’t carry in a purse. 
 

zip up hoodies - some of these facilities might as well be the morgue, the thermostats the same! I say zip ups because half zipped shows badges and gives you access to scrub pockets. 
 

stethoscope covers, pen lights, maybe car accessories since it seems like I live in there now, neck pillow (I sleep in the car on my lunch break when I do doubles), tumblers (28 oz?) you know, creature comforts. 

[Please revise facilities contract]

14 hours ago, Jamesha said:

I can somewhat agree with you on that but I just feel as if nursa needs to clarify before application status that shifts are NOT guaranteed when requesting for work. That facilities will pick and choose if they will hire you for a shift.It’s misleading staff to believe once you’re approved to work. U will be guaranteed the shifts you request to work and that’s not at all the case. We’re actually fighting to find work. 

I didn’t read it to say you’re guaranteed anything. If you want to go the route, there are staffing agencies that will be happy to put you in a contract and guarantee hours and pay. 
 

I haven’t been with Nursa that long, I actually just got a notification that it was 1 year with them a couple of days ago. It isn’t like seniority at all. I use it exclusively for work because my life is a mess. I don’t always get the shifts I request either. I know one thing one facility I’ve been to does is they’ll post it on Nursa, then call or text me (and others) to see if anyone wants it. I will usually take it. Now, say you see this shift that’s starting in 3 hours and you request it but the facility does what that one does. I request it and it’s filled because they waited for me so they could choose. Now it shows filled for you because they hand picked who they wanted already. 
 

somethig else you can do and I have done when you’re struggling to get shifts you want is to message the facility. It’s on the request page. How about send them a short message, introduce yourself a little, ask any questions that pertain to their place. I guarantee that when they go to pick you’re on their mind from your introduction. 

[Finding shifts]

Ok I can’t be the only one but I miss being able to find shifts within a radius I could set, or sort them by pay. 
why? Because now when I put in my state, which is Oklahoma, and I live in the southwestern part, the first shifts it shows me are Sallisaw, Barndall, Tulsa, and Sulphur.

 

the first 3 towns there are all over 3 hours from me, in north eastern OK,  Sulphur is 108 miles one way east of me. Then I thought we’ll maybe better pay is how it’s sorted?  Uh no, sorry I can’t drive 4 hours one way to make $4-10 less per hour. 
 

I have to sit through their masses of postings, and mixed in those will be some from OKC but they’re mostly at the bottom. I can drive to OKC in an hour, those shifts are a reasonable distance.

 

The same goes for if I add Texas to the search (I’m licensed there too) it will show me San Antonio, Austin, and Conroe right at the top…all of those are 5-6 hours from me, but Fort Worth? Nope nothing there. Granted it’s a 3 hour drive but being a major metropolitan area, the pay can motivate me to drive that far, and I know people there so if I can  get a few shifts, we’ll I have a couch to crash on for a few days.

 

Please change the search function bsck go allowing us to decide how far we are willing to drive for what pay. Fuel isn’t cheap, so I try to stay within an hour of my home unless it’s SOS with a big incentive then I might because the pay covers the fuel.

 

 

 

[POLL: What is your favorite scrub type?]

Koi.  Love how they’re cut and they actually fit and have buttons on the pants. I can only cinch drawstrings down so far and I absolutely hate that if I put stuff in my pockets I am constantly pulling them up. 

[Please revise facilities contract]

Yes and no. No they shouldn’t be able to say filled and then ask you to come in because hey, I went somewhere else or made plans - especially the ones that act like you owed them that after they declined you. 

But, one facility I frequent I’m a favorite at. Not to pat my own back, but they told me I get preference because they like how I work and I guess the residents like me well enough to ask where I’m at or when I’m coming back. I definitely like the residents there, even the ones that core staff say are a problem, only one gives me a bad time and I just don’t deal with them alone anymore. 
 

of course they should get to choose who gets the shift. I’ve seen some from agency that literally went and slept in the break room and all kinds of things and that facility should have the option to not ever pick them up again. 
 

I get the frustration though. It took me forever to pick up a few of my first shifts. Always filled blah blah blah, but when I finally did, I made sure to make a good impression. It’s been a lot easier since. 

[How come?]

On 9/15/2022 at 8:11 AM, Krishna Floisand said:

Hi @Ashley Clark and @LM LPN! We do have policies in place for both sides of the marketplace. Similar to being frozen, facilities do receive a penalty for canceling shifts, especially last minute. If you have repeated issues with the same facility, feel free to reach out to me personally and we can better investigate a facility's behavior. 

This isn't the first time they've done that. Similar to the other respondent, they use agency as a place holder and offer it to core staff, and if core staff will pick it up, we get dumped. 

This facility cancelled 2 shifts on me last week. Two shifts that I requested in advance several days, one they cancelled the day before, the other only hours before the start of the shift. I asked if there was a reason they cancelled me via text and I was told "We got core staff to cover it".

 

Well, when they do that, they take away money from me because I could have worked for someone else.

[How come?]

If a facility cancels you last minute, its ok for them to do, but if we do it we get a 2 week ban? Thats ridiculous. I had a facility cancel my shifts today for a few hours from now, stating they filled it in house. Ok, but if I had done that to them, I'd be on a 2 week ban. Of course they can get away with it and no consequences for them, meanwhile I'm missing an entire nights work because I don't have anything open last minute to pick up. It's as inconvenient for me to plan to work over night and now I'm short an entire shift for the week and either have to take the pay cut or make it up. This has happened to others I know, one drove over an hour from where we live to be cancelled when she got there. This isn't acceptable at all and there should be some recourse for us. We spend our time and fuel to go to these places and fill their deficiencies, and they wonder why they can't keep appropriately staffed?

 

I go to this place frequently, they call me at all hours to come cover shifts for them and I do. I told them today not to bother calling me to come cover down if they can't have the decency to not cancel a scheduled shift on me last minute.

[Hot Topic - What are the best shoes for nursing shifts?]

Avia. Yes those cheap as all get out Walmart shoes. I thought they’d kill my feet for work but they are my most comfortable shoes. They have good padding, lots of support, and come in wide sizes too, which matters to me and  I don’t have to size up to accommodate the Flintstone feet I have. 

I wear them for doubles and my feet have never hurt in them, even when they were new. I broke my back a few years ago and them and Nikes are the only ones that I don’t suffer with. 
bright side is they aren’t too cheaply made and they have held up very well, but if I mess them up it’s only $20 to replace them.