Has Your Facility Ever Tried to Have a Set Schedule?

Published

Scheduling has been what seems like a HUGE challenge since the day I started working at my LTC. The DON seems to take forever to get the schedule out...like putting it out on Friday afternoon (usually closer to early evening) and only being able to get a schedule out for about a week at a time. So...after numerous complaints, she has turned scheduling over to me...I am a bit more organized and I don't procrastinate nearly as much as she does...LOL.

Anyway...since the day she started, the new administrator has wanted all departments on a set two-week schedule and she informed me that I am going to make it happen for the nursing department. The nurses were pretty easy except for one nurse who wants to work eight hour shifts, wants five days a week, wants every other weekend off, wants no more than three days in a row, but also wants at least two days off at a time...LOL...not possible at all. The CNA schedule was a bit of a challenge, but I got it done so that everyone has their hours (after they made cuts), no one works more than four in a row, and everyone has every other weekend off.

Under the "new rules" if anyone wants a day off that they are normally scheduled for, they have to find their own replacement...they are being asked to schedule their appointments, etc around work instead of expecting work to schedule around them. Covering staffing during vacations and holidays is my responsibility, but any other time someone wants a scheduled day off, they have to take care of it. Most people have no problem with that and are willing to make trades or whatever, but some of the nurses and CNAs are just furious about it. (We also have five PRN people who are usually very willing to come it).

I think it will work as long as no one decides that it is NOT going to work...change is always a challenge, but a lot of other industries work on a set schedule and they somehow manage. A few have threatened to quit over it, but they are probably just threats.

Has anyone worked with a schedule like this? Any opinions?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

I think your rules seem very fair. If you allow the negative ones to set the tone.. the facilities tone will always be negative!

We don't have set schedules, but they would be a great idea if you can make it work. We have tried to do self scheduling in the past and it actually worked fairly well (can't remember why we quit now that I think about it). If everyone knows that they have to work every other weekend and schedules themselves appropriately for this then it becomes their own fault if they suddenly have an appointment or something else.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in DOU.

I wish we had set schedules. It's crazy trying to schedule things in the future when you don't know what your work schedule is going to look like.

But since you are in a position of authority about scheduling, is it fair to ask to work every Sunday instead of every other weekend?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sounds fair to me. If they were given a bit of notice on the start of the new scheduling system..it should be doable and actually work out for the best.

Question for everyone on this same subject. How do you feel a bout M-F schedules? This would be for all shifts and them either have weekend only staff that would do 8s or 12s depending on the response. We don't have that many staff nurses and the few of us are willing to try this, but adm doesn't want to or are too lazy to try. We need to hire nurses and we were thinking this might appeal to some.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
This would be for all shifts and them either have weekend only staff that would do 8s or 12s depending on the response. We don't have that many staff nurses and the few of us are willing to try this, but adm doesn't want to or are too lazy to try. We need to hire nurses and we were thinking this might appeal to some.

You may get a few (probably VERY few) that would actually commit to working every single weekend. Doubtful that you would actually get enough to cover the entire weekend schedule.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Has anyone worked with a schedule like this? Any opinions?

YES and it rocks-I can plan ahead months in advance if need be.We have a 6 week schedule and it's posted at the end of the 4th week of the current schedule.We work every other weekend -and we all have set days off. I have every other Monday and Thursday.I love it....We have a certain number of nurses on each schedule-when someone quits their replacment goes in that slot.It makes staffing easier.We have a few nurses hired by the former DON with different hours but no exceptions are being made for the every other weekend thing.You are always going to have people that can NOT be pleased and they think only of themselves.They'll get over it.Once you get this started the majority of your staff will be pleased.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC/Rehab,Med/Surg, OB/GYN, Ortho, Neuro.

The facility I work at, we have 8hr shifts. Day and evening shifts work M-F w/ every weekend off. Night shift has a "wagon wheel" schedule that repeats every 3 weeks. Then we have baylor shifts on the weekends. Works really well for us. CNAs work wagon wheel for all shifts.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You may get a few (probably VERY few) that would actually commit to working every single weekend. Doubtful that you would actually get enough to cover the entire weekend schedule.

We actually have a few that would do either every other or every weekend with a baylor type of pay package. It is getting the M-F people hired. I think this would help with continutity of care too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
We actually have a few that would do either every other or every weekend with a baylor type of pay package. It is getting the M-F people hired. I think this would help with continutity of care too.

Guess this just shows how regional some things can be. If I put an ad in the paper for one M-F position I would get 20-30 applicants!

And as far as extra pay for weekends... LOL (which is WHY I know we can't get any!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Depends on what you're going to and from. We're going from self-scheduling to a set schedule, and it's not making us happy. On top of not getting raises this year, they're taking away our flexibility. I'd like a set schedule better than someone else making my schedule, but I have to say I much prefer self scheduling over everything else.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

we tried self scheduling and it failed miserably because the DON refused to make any rules about it...pretty much whoever got to the schedule first got their heart's desire and everyone else got totally taken advantage of. Our schedule is going to be a two week rotation...everyone works every other weekend. The hardest part is that we have some people on twelve hour shifts, some people on eights, and a few people on fours. We also have one night nurse who can't work with one of the night CNAs, and they both work twelve hour shifts, so it ends up that the schedule almost revolves around them... I realy wish our DON wasn't quite so accomodating at times!

If someone resigns, we will offer their schedule to everyone else and base who gets it on seniority, call ins, performace evals, etc...the DON and the administrator get to make that decision! If no one wants their schedule, new hires will be placed there.

I really hope this works...my biggest fear is that we have a few bad apples who are just going to try to make it fail.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics.

Our facility has a set schedule for a month at a time. I don't know if they've ever tried anything else. Everyone works every other weekend unless the person is called in or whatever. I did work in a facility that did self scheduling and it worked well, but we had an excellent team that were true team players that wanted to work.

Blessings, M.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion