UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill dropped a plan that could make nurses bid down one another’s extra-shift pay. Nurses can instead request optional shifts with a premium of roughly $14 an hour, depending on experience, according to The Assembly’s September reporting.
That is slightly above the roughly $13 premium reported for most nurses before the change. The remaining question is who gets an opening when several qualified nurses want it. North State Journal reported that the selection rule remained unclear.
Which premium survived?
The Assembly’s reporting allows a comparison, all additional hourly pay:
- About $35: A pre-pandemic premium recalled by one anonymous nurse.
- About $13: The recent premium for most nurses.
- About $14: The replacement premium, depending on experience.
These reported figures are not a verified pay table or evidence that the $35 premium returned.
Requesting a shift without underbidding a colleague
Under Carolina Premium Shifts, nurses request optional work after meeting their regular hours. The advertised premium does not fall as more nurses request the opening, The Assembly reports.
UNC retained the staffing platform while dropping competitive bidding in August, according to North State Journal. Its reporting leaves unresolved how the hospital chooses among qualified applicants. A nurse requesting a shift should not read the end of bidding as a guarantee of getting it.
The distinction matters: knowing the offered rate helps a nurse decide whether extra work is worthwhile. Knowing the selection rule helps them judge whether they have a fair chance of getting that work. A dated replacement policy would answer the second question more clearly.