Scheduling & Pay

Scheduling Shifts

Depending on your availability and your unit, a variety of shifts are available. Weekday shifts will offer the most opportunities for consolidation of skills and connecting with the health care team. It is preferable that you do not work only night shifts.

During unit orientation it is your responsibility to find out how ESN shifts are booked on your unit. Your unit Manager, Clinical Nurse Educator, or delegate can help you with this. Note that your nursing program is a priority and school must not be missed or jeopardized. Please book your shifts after careful consideration of school commitments. Remember to email your Regional Clinical Educator as soon as your shifts are booked, or copy them on the original request if done by email.  

Please note the following:

  • ESNs are not able to work any hours during statutory holidays. Do not schedule a shift on a statutory holiday, including a night shift that continues into a stat on the following day.
  • ESNs cannot receive overtime pay. You are not to work or claim overtime hours
  • All paid hours = ESN hours. After orientation, ESN hours should be used towards clinical time. Any paid hours will come from your bank of ESN hours. All paid hours will be at straight time, including orientation & classroom hours.  
  • Do not book ESN shifts during your preceptorship. We strongly discourage booking ESN shifts during your preceptorship. Consider your time commitment to ensure personal wellness and patient safety is maintained.
  • Extras ≠ pay. Extra workshops and/or CCRS courses taken at your discretion will not be paid. Please contact your Regional Clinical Educator if you have questions or need clarification.

ESN Hours

Regarding your total allotment of hours:

  • Fiscal year. Annual hours are assigned each fiscal year which runs from April 1st to March 31st.
  • Keep tabs of hours. You are to keep an accurate record of the hours you have used. You can do this by looking at your paid hours on your pay stub to determine how many hours you have worked.
  • Hours per shift. An 8 hour shift is equal to 7.5 paid hours and a 12 hour shift is equal to 11 paid hours.
  • 100 hour notification. When 100 ESN hours or fewer are remaining, an email is sent to you, your Manager, and your Regional Clinical Educator to ensure that you do not go over your hours. Note that there may be up to a 2 week delay on these e-mails.
  • ESN completion date = grad marks date. The completion date of the ESN Program is the day your nursing school submits your graduating marks to your regulatory college (CRNBC or CRPNBC). You are unable to work as an ESN past this date.

Getting Paid & Pay Statements

How do I get paid, and how do I read that confusing pay stub?

  • To ensure payment, sign-in every time you go to work on the unit sign-in/daily flowsheet. If your name is not on the unit sign-in flowsheet, print your name, Employee ID, start & end time, ESN designation & initial.
  • Your rate of pay can be found in your hire letter or in the Letter of Understanding that is on the BCNU website.
  • Additional shift differentials/premiums:
    • Evenings – $0.70/h
    • Nights - $3.50/h
    • Weekend shift - $2.00/h
    • Friday and Saturday night - $1.00/h
  • Pay statements are mailed out to your home address. Contact Payroll Records and Benefits at 604-297-8683 or PayrollVCH@hssbc.ca if you are not receiving them.
  • It is your responsibility to check your pay stub to ensure it is correct in relation to hours and net pay.
  • For over or under payment, a Payroll Inquiry Form needs to be completed and submitted to timekeeping by email, KronosWTKAdministrator@vch.ca or fax 604 733 2022 or 1 888 965 2022. Payroll inquiry information can be found on VCH Connect\Employee Engagement\Regional Scheduling and Time Keeping\RST for Employees\Employee Scheduling Forms
How to Read Your Paystub

Scheduling & Payment Quiz Time

Pay & Scheduling Case Study

Reflection Question

Open up your pdf copy of the “ESN Reflections” file. Take some time to answer Question 9:

9. Now that you know more about scheduling and pay, are there any more steps you should take to find out more about your ESN shifts on the unit? If so, what might those be?

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Role Expectation