Fairness

bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN · Jan 20, 2018

Your choice to have children is not your manager's problem, nor should it be. This is your responsibility, not your managers as many other posters have said.

One solution is to work in a clinic setting as it is more of an 8-5 schedule.

You could also go to your manager and ask if you can be a weekend warrior, meaning you will work every Saturday and Sunday shift plus one other day during the week to get your full time hours, but this means you will not have any weekends off. Since you say school seems to be the issue this may be a good option for you. Keep in mind not all hospitals have weekend warriors and not all are willing to change up their scheduling for this. If you do this option, do not expect management to grant you any vacation time over a weekend though as they are already doing you a favor by changing to the weekend warrior.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2018

Managements FIRST responsibility is to the patients.

If that was the truth, then they would consider SAFE patient to nurse ratios.

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Jan 20, 2018

I totally agree. Managements first priority seems to be in reality getting the job done with a few resources as possible so the bottom line looks better. That doesn't mean that a nurse should be given preferential treatment because she chose to have kids. Every accommodation that is made means some other nurse has to fill in that gap. If this nurse has childcare problems she should seek a resolution to those problems outside the workplace or establish win-win relationships with other nurses on her unit and do a voluntary switch that suits them both

psu_213, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2018

If that was the truth, then they would consider SAFE patient to nurse ratios.

I think the more accurate statement would be that management's first responsibility is to ensure the unit is staffed based on a ratio that is determined by business people who have no experience in actually caring for patients--which is very different that simply "to the patients."

Anyway, as for the OP, every place in which I have worked as a nurse, the only way to guarantee days off is through prescheduled vacation/PTO--or otherwise have it in writing. Even places that allow nurses to request a day he/she "absolutely" needs to be off is not actually written in stone--if too many people select that day (Halloween is a common one), someone who requests that day will have to work. It would really be helpful if you still have the written agreement; otherwise, management is within their rights to, within reason, change your preferred schedule.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 20, 2018

When the OP states that her husband and family cannot help her, I wonder why childcare has to be her problem alone rather than a family problem?

I have said the same thing, and there was validity to it because SO was military and deployed out of the country for several months and our families lived several states away. So unfortunately, childcare became my problem and mine alone, since logistically neither SO nor family could help me. Perhaps OP's situation is somewhat similar.

And how I addressed it? I turned down the job with the 12s and went with the job with the 8s, and was per-diem so I had the most possible control over my scheduling. It meant sacrificing a lot of things, but I solved the problems and wasn't reliant on either other people or my employer to make things work out at home.

OP: While management should be flexible, they also have to ensure that the unit is staffed properly, and that they are fair when it comes to switching schedules and pulling people. This means that sometimes you will have to have the short end of the stick, as will everyone else. If this can't or won't be acceptable for you, then perhaps you need to consider a position with shorter shifts, more traditional work hours such as outpatient, offices or clinics, or go per-diem where you have more control over your availability. This may mean switching facilities and/or specialities and possibly taking a pay cut, but you have to figure out where to compromise and come up with what works best for you and your family.

And while I understand and sympathize with your situation...a word of advice: never keep playing the kids card when it comes to these things. The fact that you have children does not make your needs any more important than those staff who don't have kids at home. And while doing it once for a sincere emergency is one thing, continually playing the kids card will not make you any friends at work, neither with management nor coworkers.

Best of luck

SmilingBluEyes · Jan 20, 2018

If that was the truth, then they would consider SAFE patient to nurse ratios.

Is that so? You have likely never worked in management. It can be the most thankless job and I get my satisfaction from what I do internally. I don't get praise but hear plenty if I screw up. And those ratios???

Try telling that to someone WAY up higher in the food chain than myself. That's preaching to the choir to tell any manager she/he needs to maintain safe ratios. Hard to do when legislators, administrators and others won't give more than we have, and instead, in fact, tell us to do more with less.

Ok I feel better now.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jan 20, 2018

Why in nursing do managers not understand inflexibility with schedule changes? Im married, w 2 kids, hardly any help, and 12 hour shifts dont allow me to get kids to school. My husband and family cannot help me. No daycare before school for one of my kids. So when i say i cannot work certain days, i cant. Who will take my kids to school? They cannot stand outside for 2 hours alone. But manAgement can change my schedule, without asking me. How is this professional conduct? How am i being treated professionally, when i know my responsibilities/ limits and i cannot help their staffing issues? Why is nursing so inflexible to a working mom?

Inflexibility with schedules is an issue. Management changing your schedule after it has been officially posted is an issue. But if you've submitted your preferred schedule and it needed to be tweaked to balance the numbers and this was done so BEFORE it was posted, it's your issue. YOU need to figure out how to cover your shifts, whether that means trading shifts or trading child care. Your children are your responsibility. The fact that you have children does not mean that your preferred schedule is untouchable while someone else's gets freely changed around. Everyone has to give a little. If there is more consideration given to one person's preferences than another, it ought to be based on length of service rather than breeding status.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jan 20, 2018

and this is why retention is low. Ms. DNP, i guess youll need to know what size scrubs to wear, cause youll be working when you have no staff.... if you keep treating us nurses like this.

Way out of line there, Hink

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jan 20, 2018

True all schedules are subject to the ultimate function of the hospital, but when you are heartless in messing with someones schedule you create a toxic working environment,high turnover,poor morale.I bet your favorite nurse never gets her schedule changed.

Drama much?

Some nurses rarely get their schedule touched. Those are usually the nurses with 25 years of seniority who never ever submit a schedule that doesn't meet all of the scheduling requirements. (Weekends, Mondays, Fridays, holidays -- whatever your unit lists as requirements.) It has nothing to do with being a favorite. It is also neither toxic nor heartless.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 20, 2018

we have self-scheduling. If there are days that you absolutely cannot work, you can designate that, which means, if they have to change your requested schedule, than they try very hard to not ask someone to work. 2 of the days I work are the days my husband is off. I work weekend option, so my third day is one of the days he is off. My manager and COD are very willing to work with people. Some are too rigid. There are days that I can stay for an extra 4 hours if they are short, come in extra after I out on kid on the bus. My issue is that i live an hour away from work and both of my sons are Type 1 diabetics. I have intermittent FMLA if a need arises.

I know how difficult it is with kids, Sometimes I can get a night shift person to come in early or someone to work 4 hours for me so I can leave early for a band recital. I think it is easier to try and work with them about scheduling. As an earlier poster said, maybe a job with 8 hours would be better. I choose the 3 12s because of the long drive.

Hope you can find a resolution. .

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2018

Haven't heard from OP since post #7. Guess this isn't her kind of crowd. Another poop and run. Didn't want to hear it's not about nursing inflexibility, it's her unreasonable demands.

Speaking of which, did they ever identify that jogger that was getting caught on security cams repeatedly pooping in people's yards and running off?

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Jan 20, 2018

It was me exercising my right to free range fecal production