No Overtime And One In Dept

[Guest Judy Kirkland]

My administrator is against any overtime...but wants me there for every activity and I must have 3 a dax7days a week!!!I am only one in dept. Aren't there usually more than 1 in the activity dept? I have been working 44 hrs a week and she is constantly on me about the overtime. but if I am to be there 7 das plus the charting and interviewing and community contacting for volunteers.......help!!!

[Diana 0]

Hi Judy - sorry you have an unrelenting administrator - it takes a good administrator to realize how hard you work and and then for her to still pressure you to do more in less time! If only they realized our true value!

 

Keep up the good work and pray your admin sees it and not lack of you living at the facility 24/7! Sounds like you love your job!

 

I just do my best - that's all we can do!

[hcornell 0]

Judy,

I have been thinking about your question, and I have some advice, but also some questions of my own. Did you know the 7 day requirement prior to taking the job? It really is puzzling me as to what you do when you are not there? (vacation, personal day...) I also wonder, what type of facility do you work at?

 

Here is my advice:

Movies are a great program when you have to get your paperwork done.

Put on a flick, and bring in the folks. You do not have to watch the program, you can do care planning, calendars, etc.

 

Get yourself some reliable volunteers to work week-ends. That way you can have time off.

 

Have the residents lead programs. Do you have a lady who was a Sunday School teacher? Have her lead a Bible Study program.

 

Use your comunity resources. Have the local churches, Salvation Army, etc. run a "service" once a week or once a month. Their youth groups will usually transport the residents for you.

 

Ask the other departments to run a program. The nuses aides could certainly play some games with the residents once in a while.

 

As far as there being more that 1 person, well it depends on what type of facility you work in.

 

In my state, there is no regulation as to how many programs you must run per day, so double check your regulations (if any exist for your type of facility). If this is also the case, talk to your administrator. Showing her the "rules" will not make you look like a jerk. She may actually not know what is correct.

 

Who says how long your programs must be. 20 minutes for morning stretches gives you time to visit people in between.

 

Make one of your programs a "Cart" program, knocking off some room visits along the way.

 

If you did not get informed upon accepting your position that it would be 7 days a week, check the legalities of that. You may have a labor dispute.

 

Are you a union shop? If you are the only one, then probably you could get into the union. That means you would have an advocate to help negotiate help in your department.

 

Sit down with your administrator and find out why she is asking you to do so much alone. Perhaps she may offer you suggestions for time management.

 

Do what is important first. Break down all of your job duties, and only complete today, what is marked as having a specific deadline. For example, by the end of week,You have to complete 25 MDS, Care Plans, and Progress Notes. The MDS must be done first, the progress notes can wait until after the team meeting, etc.

Or you can do 5 every day, splitting up the work equally. I am sure many of them won't change that much that you have to write a lot.

 

Finally, if your boss is pressuring you to perform out of your capabilities, find a place with better conditions. We must take care of ourselves first, remember. :-D