How does your unit handle daylight savings time?

It's daylight savings time tonight! I just finished my 3-11pm shift and it was definitely a big topic of discussion tonight with our staff. Does your institution pay you for that extra hour of work? I know our hospital will pay for 13 hours (instead of 12) if you work 7pm-7am but some of the nurses told me that other hospitals they have worked at previously do not compensate for the extra hour.

Also, how does this affect your charting and meds? I'm still a student so right now I'm only working as a tech. I asked some of the nurses what they were going to do but they all had different ideas. There seems to be no standardized way to handle it. I know some of the kids on our floor get q2 or q3h narcotics and it's important to keep them as close to this schedule as possible. With the time change, this makes it very confusing for the staff! In the spring, it's even more complicated because you lose an hour and we give out a lot of 2am meds on our floor as most of our kiddos are GT fed. How does your unit handle these issues?

For those not working, enjoy that extra hour of sleep!
I have never been paid the extra hour. What is just as exasperating is that nothing is done about those people who show up "late" for work because of the time change. If I can come and go on time despite the time change, I don't see why others can't. Feel that it is very inconsiderate and most likely just as often done purposely.

I've never had any med adm conflicts dealing with the time change. I would just think about it and make the adjustment with a note on the back of the MAR if an explanation is due.

I have always been told that it is ILLEGAL not to pay hourly employees for the extra hour. Not just nurses any hourly employees!

we get paid for 1 hr of overtime. I guess I haven't worked enough time change nights because I can't recall it affecting my charting. If there was to be a discrepancy in time I would prob explain in the nursing notes "daylight savings time observed" or whatever. In terms of meds, we always followed the schedule ordered by the Dr, so if it was q6h and last dose was at 2400, the next dose would come 6 hrs later at 0500 and times in the MAR would be adjusted.

Unless you are an exempt employee, the employer is required to pay you for every hour worked, whether or not there are two of the same hour due to daylight savings. I am curious, for those who say their employer does not compensate them, do they pay employees an extra hour not worked when clocks are set forward in the Spring?

We always go out drinking during the extra hour, then come back to work.

get paid 1 hours overtime

Quote from DeLanaHarvickWannabeWe always go out drinking during the extra hour, then come back to work.

if you work a two week schedule....ie work alternating w/es you also work the short w/e in the spring...so it comes out a wash..

Paid one extra hour at regular time, in the spring lose one hour at regular time. Seems the fairest way to do it, especially since not all staff work both shifts affected. Nobody works for free.

When I used to work nights--not in a hospital setting--I was paid for how many hours I worked. So this meant I was paid for only 11 hours the night daylight saving time began (since I only worked 11), but for 13 hours the night daylight saving time ended (same reason).

Paying the extra hour and not paying the missing hour is the fair solution. There is no guarantee it will all even out many months later.As for meds, if you give something crucial during that overlap hour (2:00-3:00am), just annotate the system you were under at the time. If you gave something at the first 0215, you'd write 0215 EDT (Eastern Daylight Time). If you have a "may repeat if ineffective after one hour," order and you want to give that second dose, you would then write 0215 EST (Eastern Standard Time) to distinguish between the two. The "switching hour" is the only time that could be confusing. Everything else just falls into its usual place.This should affect only a handful of people, but if you're one of them, just make sure you know which initials to use in which place.