self staffing

Iris in the morning · May 22, 2000

Rule number one in self scheduling is your staff MUST be flexible.

Set your staffing guidelines - number of staff needed per shift, weekends to be worked, if you're like most places - everyone must work some Mondays and Fridays,

number of special request allowed per person per schedule-extended time off may have to be rotated, to allow all to benefit.

One person should monitor activity on schedule and alert staff when staffing numbers are not being met (can be Manager, or designee), staff should be responsible for making needed changes.

If utilized properly it empowers the staff to have a say in when they work and improves the team concept.

Hope this is of help to you. Good luck and

God bless.

EDchrisRN · May 23, 2000

Self scheduling can be a good thing, but it takes alot of flexibility and 'give' on the part of the staff involved. It is a great opportunity for the staff to take control over this aspect of their work life but staff must understand that it does not mean that you write your hours on the schedule and that's the end of story. There has to be a system of checks and balances. I began self scheduling in my dept. 5-6 years ago and the process is still being modified and changed as our needs change. It is a dynamic process. We actually practice what I would call a modified self-scheduling. Everyone fills in what they want and then the scheduling committee modifies and switches things to accommodate staffing minimums, etc. We also have mandatory overtime and on-call time which is a whole other nightmare to deal with. It is easy to give a list of requested days off to a unit manager and expect him/her to accommodate all those requests. Then, when you don't get what you want, you can blame "THEM". Self-scheduling forces the staff to be responsible and accountable for their own schedule and for covering their own unit, rather than depending on someone else to do it. This is part of what professional nursing is all about.....taking control of your own workplace and making it happen...both for the good of the staff and the customers you serve. I say get a group of people together to investigate this, ask around at how others do it and then start with something. It won't be a perfect process to start, and it may never be perfect. It will change. But start somewhere and go from there. I would not recommend starting in the summer, which is high vacation time. Wait until fall. In the meantime, it is imperative that you educate your staff on the concept of self-scheduling and what it does and does not mean. There are some great articles out there in journals and probably on the internet as well. The staff has to have some kind of idea about what they are getting into before they will even begin to warm up to the idea. See if there is another unit in your facility that uses self-scheduling and talk with them and get a copy of their guidelines, rules, etc. This is how we got started...someone else had already done the work and we had a good launching point...then adjust things to meet the needs of your own unit. Good luck!