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?
My nurses and CNA's have a two week set schedule. The schedule is posted out for 6 weeks at a time. They all work 8 hour shifts and EOW, it doesn't matter if they are FT or PT. If you want a day off, you put in your request at least 30 days in advance. If you want a day off under the 30 days, then you need to find your own replacement and it can not involve overtime.
Each year, you have between March 15 and April 15 to put in your requests for vacations between June 1 and May 31 of the following year. These are based on seniority. Any other requests once those are filled come on a first come basis.
I have never been at a facility that does not have a set schedule.
cotjockey- Most facilities I have worked for had set schedules. Anything from 4 on 2 off to m-f with every week end off and a seperate weekend staff to every other week end off. 12 hour, 8 hour shifts. Yes I did work for a hospital that had a put the staffing book out and let people write their names in. That place had a lot of registry filling in gaps.
In my opinion someone needs to meet with the entire staff to get their input. Then implement the schedule that the majority of employees vote for. Then thats it.
You have no control over who will quit. But when new employees get hired they should know what their schedule will be before they start work to end all of the confusion.
I work at a facility that expects its new workers to work 3 weekends a month. The nursing supervisor said we she do it without complaining because we are lucky she hire us straight out of school. We should do it as a show of appreciation. She want to work me 3-11, 11-7 and 3weekends.
Needless to say retention is a major problem at this facility.
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
I've worked as a staff nurse with a set schedule...40 hours every other weekend. Had every other Monday or every other Thursday off. Could plan 3 months in advance for an appointment. Most places I've worked people have set schedules. At one place we wanted to make all the staff nurses M-F and hardly anyone wanted to do it.
We have set schedules at my facility, no one seems to have any complaints. I work 3-11pm M-F, and while the 5 days in a row gets draining, I love the predictability of always knowing when I'll be off. When I previously worked for this facility as a CNA, I did 7-3 full time EOW, when I worked weekends I'd be off the Friday before & Tuesday after.
At my ALF, we have a 2-week schedule. Caregivers and nurses have every other weekend off. If you're scheduled for the weekend and you call in, you have to make it up another weekend.
So far, the set schedule thing is not going over well at all... We've had one CNA cut back to part time and she can only work certain days because she took another job. We've decided not to replace her with a new hire, but to move everyone else around and give some of the people who were only getting 32 or 36 hours a full 40. We also had two CNAs get in a major argument so they DON decided that they cannot work together any more...they were scheduled together a lot. And we have a night nurse who reqested a bunch of days in May, so I have to figure out how to make sure she gets her days, while not scheduling the nurse who works opposite more than two in a row and that she always has at least two nights (but preferably three) off in between.
I know scheduling makes a big difference in how happy people are at a job, but sometimes our DON just goes overboard. We have people who can only work certain days, people who do 12 hour shifts and people who do 8 hour shifts, people who can't / won't work together, people who always want to leave early, people who can't work holidays, people who want 40 hours but want three days off during the week and can't do anything but 8 hours shifts...LOL.
I think I have a new schedule worked out, but the DON and the administrator are going to review it to make sure everything is good to go before we post it. :)
For one thing, once the staff understand that you are trying to meet the needs of the residents and they are "paid" employees, they either want a job or not. There are plenty of people in need of a job right now and with all the layoffs around the country, i'm sure someone would love to have the position that they don't want.
I always tell my staff (and believe me... they have all heard it more than once) I don't care if you don't like each other, you will be cordial and teamwork will happen OR as i said above, there are many people who would love to have the job.
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
For one thing, once the staff understand that you are trying to meet the needs of the residents and they are "paid" employees, they either want a job or not. There are plenty of people in need of a job right now and with all the layoffs around the country, i'm sure someone would love to have the position that they don't want.
I always tell my staff (and believe me... they have all heard it more than once) I don't care if you don't like each other, you will be cordial and teamwork will happen OR as i said above, there are many people who would love to have the job.
Apparently you don't work in a building which has a union. If I said anything like that to my staff even in jest, they would grieve me.
CNA's are union, but not the nurses. If they can't work together and the work is not getting done.... disciplinary action. All it takes is the paper trail and they are gone. Union can't get their job back and unemployment is not paid out.
Scheduling sucks on my unit. Our scheduler for day shift turns the schedule in to the manager and she changes everything then put the schedule out a week before the current schedule ends. We're supposed to be on 6wk schedules but it's only posted for 3 to 4 weeks. Some of the other nurses and my self are talking of self-scheduling, any suggestions?
Our DON put all of us on a "TRACK"....on 2nd I work the most..I work a 10 day track....Im off one day a week and every other weekend. No one does M-F. We all do 8hrs except for 2 nurses who in order to get their time in do doubles. Myself and about 3 other nurses want to go to 12 hrs.......the rest are opposed. When I was a new nurse there was no set track...our days off varied from schedule to schedule. I like having a track. I do all my scheduling on my days off. To get a day off we have to request it in advance. If the schedule is already out then we have to find our own coverage as long as it doesnt cause either person OT. Also when I was a new nurse the nurses worked M-F....I hated that. 5 days in a row??? Eww.....I do 4 max in a row and that about kills me on that 4th day.
noc4senuf
683 Posts
My nurses and CNA's have a two week set schedule. The schedule is posted out for 6 weeks at a time. They all work 8 hour shifts and EOW, it doesn't matter if they are FT or PT. If you want a day off, you put in your request at least 30 days in advance. If you want a day off under the 30 days, then you need to find your own replacement and it can not involve overtime.
Each year, you have between March 15 and April 15 to put in your requests for vacations between June 1 and May 31 of the following year. These are based on seniority. Any other requests once those are filled come on a first come basis.
I have never been at a facility that does not have a set schedule.