Every other weekend- what century are we in?

[lizva101]

Every other weekend is just inhumane. We are expected to be caregivers and give our lives to service --- yet -- we also HAVE to work every other weekend. We are still although healthcare providers, part of the human race , who have family, and other interests necessary to maintain a healthy psych. There would be a lot stress in the field if it wasn't about who can cut it and who can't, if it were more humane. Not to mention --- Come on people. This is a profession, not a rat race based on who can stay up for 12 hours and hack an every other weekend job. Give me a

break.

I am so fumming -- The only non every other weekend position is OR, PACU, or day surgery.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MANAGERS/LEADERS THAT THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT EVERY OTHER IS NOT GOOD FOR RETENTION.

I know the argument -- not enough staff. give me a break. Thats what per diem nurses are for. Make per diem positions less attractive, and gain more Staff Nurses. I mean come on, you don't have to be mensa to see the results increase retention, decrease nurse burn out.

Some prefer weekends -- great. Let them work workends people.

If it was a male dominated profession Let me ask You ----

Would they note that perhaps requiring every other weekend was a bit - shall we say nonprogressive?

Would they allow for every 3rd weekend option?

Just a point to ponder.

There are enough nurses, just not enough willing to work in an archaic work environment.

My next project -- To research effects of nursing morale, retention, performance by increasing some say over their schedule by oh 35%, specifically, reducing the number of required weekends. Think of it, half of lives (in weekend terms) are lost.

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

I've worked every weekend but 3 in the last six months. I'm actually off this weekend, and a little shocked that I'll be off on a weekend that's also a holiday...

[ArwenEvenstar]

Wow, this post has generated a lot of replies.

At the last hospital I worked at they paid $8.00 extra an hour for weekends. There was no problem finding people willing to work weekends because of this. In fact, there was competition for weekends!! The last unit I worked on had several long term employees who worked only weekends. Some of the newer staff members wanted some weekend shifts (because of the great extra pay) but no weekends were available because it was sordof "set in stone" that the old timers got dibs. Some hostility and ill-will actually developed because some WANTED weekend shifts but could not get them!

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

People do not schedule when to get sick or admitted into the hospital, so, anyone working in healthcare can reasonably expect to give up some of their weekends, and even office nurses have to give up Saturdays to accomodate the community that works Monday through Friday. I don't think it is archaic, to be honest, I think it is fair. I worked at a psych hospital that gave weekends off in order of seniority. The newbies were stuck with days like Monday/Tuesday, Wednesday/Thursday for MANY, MANY years, and were basically forced to work all holidays because the senior staff wanted them off. The only way to obtain the weekends was when a senior person retired. Many who still work there can share stories of how many holidays they missed with their young children, family outings and quality time with significant others and spouses behind such an insensitive ruling. Now, THAT, I think is unfair. Based on having experienced this for 12 years, alternate weekends is much more humane for any health care worker that is new coming into their careers.

I totally totally agree. :heartbeat

[pjbnurse]

I work 12-hour shifts every Saturday and Sunday, receive pay for 32 hours under my workplace's Baylor plan, and get Monday through Friday off.

That would be great. I wish my hospital would offer a position like that.

[Butterfliesnroses]

I'm an aide in a LTC facility. For August I got Monday and Tuesdays off. In September I gets Sundays and Mondays off and then of course the days I am in class (Mondays and Wednesday, starts near the end of September). We are mainly on a 5 on 2 off schedule. Each aide and nurse is on their own schedule for the most part. Every month I turn in a sheet of what days I would like off (as does other employees). I don't mind working weekends (most of the time). My boyfriend stays home with the baby. He doesn't work. However most of my family has weekends off so will plan birthday parties, bbqs, ect on the weekend. If can get very frustrating missing on those things ALL the time. I'm very happy to have Sunday and Monday off next month. It gives me on weekend day and one week day (to run errands, call places, ect.) off which IMO is the best of both worlds. I was a bit miffed when the DNS skipped right over me and gave an aide with less seniority weekends off because she's a single mom. Her child was not even in school yet either! I feel like she was saying this other employee was worth more to the company. I probably only would have taken partial weekends...Anyways working weekends right now works in my favor. Especially with school starting. Anywho I just take whatever she gives me hours wise. But that's only because my child isn't in school yet and my boyfriend doesn't work. I do like that the DNS takes what people want in mind. That is nice. I do sometimes miss the 4 on 2 off schedule. But both (5 and 4 day work weeks) have their pros and cons. The DNS will schedule you every weekend where I work if she doesn't think you'd mind. Which often times means you gotta speak up! I would not mind extra money for working weekends but that isn't gonna happen!

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

It's one thing when you want to work weekends. But I can see where the frustration of the OP comes in..I have worked places where they could very easily do flexible and fair scheduling but chose not to, because "we've always done it this way". It's easier to keep it at the status quo and far easier on their pocketbooks.

As an example: look at the issue of mandatory overtime. For years, hospitals in my state have been ******* and moaning that enacting a "no mandatory overtime" law would cause hardship for the hospitals etc. The law passed early in this year in my state and lo and behold, the world didn't end. They're making it work because the hospital has to cough up a pretty substantial fine each time they are in violation.

Personally, I think I wouldn't mind working all weekends and having the rest of the week off. But, I think that the hospitals have to realize that some of us don't have undying loyalty to our workplace. At the end of the day, I'm going to do what works best for me.

[Scrubby]

Every other weekend is a lot fairer than my hospital. If your on a 7 day roster (thank goodness i'm not anymore) your entitled to ONE weekend off per month. I think it's the same throughout Australia.

I personally think it stinks the way we're expected to have no social life. Most nurses i know on a 7 day roster can't even play sports or anything because they are unable to commit themselves because of work.

[vernRN]

At the hospital I work at, they have the weekend option available, so we don't have to work weekends normally. I do see some institutions still have the requirement to work every other weekend.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

EOW isn't that bad...and when you went into nursing you had to know that weekends were part of the package. I've been in my job at the same hosptial for over 20 years and we have great retention....at least 40% of our staff nurses have been in our unit for 20years or better.

Sorry you feel this way, but is pretty much the norm. People have to work, sick people don't go home on weekends unfortunately. Would you rather work 11p-7a M-F? That would totally suck!

[Butterfliesnroses]

I think rather than making EOW mandatory they should get peoples requests...such as you'd prefer weekends off and keep in mind whether full or part time. Try to cater to the requests. So if they have enough people that LIKE working weekends then not make you work EOW. Then go from there. I bet you'd only work one weekend a month or something just due to peoples lives and needs being so different. Like I said before that's pretty much what my boss does.

[MN BigJ]

So let me get this straight, you want to work M-F, 8 hour shifts, no weekends, probably no nights or evenings, and get paid the same as people that work the off shifts??

I'm sorry but hospitals are open 24/7 and need to staff accordingly, if you don't like the hours of better paying jobs then take a pay cut and work in a clinic. Life aint perfect, you can't have everything.

I'm pretty sure men can't stop people from being sick or injured on weekends either. Male dominated or not it's one of those jobs that needs to be staffed on weekends.

[MB37]

For $8 an hour more I'd knock you over trying to get all the weekend shifts. Unfortunately, you only get about $1 in my area - not enough of an incentive. I think that flexible scheduling with incentive pay is the best way to get people to work the less desirable shifts while improving retention and employee morale. Unfortunately, it costs money. If you increase the weekend differential, people will flock to the shifts. I used to work 11p-7a at a bar (in New Orleans, no mandated closing time), and I asked for that shift - it was by far the best money in the place. You adjust to the schedule, and making extra cash makes it worthwhile. I haven't started my first RN position yet, and since it's an internship program with classes I think I'll be on days in the beginning, but I'd rather work nights. I've never had a 9-5 type job, and one reason I went into nursing was because I knew I'd never have to. I couldn't imagine having to go to work 5 days a week, and never having a weekday off to run errands.