Finding replacement for time off...

[Joe V]

A special occasion is around the corner and you want to take the day off. What to do when there are no volunteers? Has this happened to you? If you plan ahead maybe it isn't so difficult but for some it's not that simple. What's your workplace policy on taking days off? Please share your stories...

[systoly]

PDN here,

The agency makes monthly schedules and is pretty good about checking with staff for any days off needs before sending schedules to the patients once the schedules are sent, you can still trade days as long as no ot is involved that usually works very well, except for right now, several cases are short a nurse

[SNJS]

My unit does self scheduling. The manager simply "evens out the days" once everyone has submitted their schedule to make sure we have adequate staffing each day. So you might get one or two days switched from your original schedule each month. Every employee is also allowed to have TWO "blocked days" per scheduling period. Management cannot schedule you on that blocked day when they are rearranging the schedule...no matter what. Meaning, you have two days per schedule where they absolutely can not make you work. It works pretty well. Most everyone is content with it.

[Mandychelle79, ASN, RN]

We have a request off book, if we know we want it off ahead of time, we put it in the book. I am not sure how it is determined with who gets it off, Im sure many factors play into it. If its a day that we are already scheduled, the group I work with is pretty good about trading when and if they can.

[FranWeberr]

I worked as a pool RN at a hospital for years, and I just don't understand the lack of respect I got from some of the nurses for not being full-time. Did they not know that I enabled them to take time off?