Holiday Staffing Crisis- Hospital Setting

[WeekenderSims]

I am looking for staffing solutions for a med-surg unit for adequate holiday coverage. My Manager is interested in implementing a new team approach to working the holidays that will require weekenders (part-timers) to not only work every weekend of every year (with the exception of 3 weekends PTO per year) but to be assigned to come in to work holiday shifts that fall during M-F. Does anyone out there have any staffing solutions or ideas that are currently working for weekenders in your facility? Thanks so much for your input!

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

Our weekend "progam" didn't last long, since the theory is that people that work every other weekend work every other holidays, then those that work every holiday, work every weekend. That didn't fly!

We don't have weekenders only where I work, but I do know that we are SHORT for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (very short!) and no float pool on holidays. My floor is full, with 24 patients (history has shown us to drop to at or below 10 for the holiday....SOOOO not happening this year). I am off the Eve because I work Christmas Day, and have already been asked to work Christmas Eve as well. *pouts* but I don't want to! It's my *only* family day!

No need to pout, just say no. Simple solution.

[birdgardner]

Offer triple pay.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i think that working every week-end is enough, and the week-end option people should not have to work every other holiday too. if i recall, last year (or maybe the year before) those people got stuck with christmas eve and christmas too because they were on a week-end, then new year's eve and new year's. and of course they work every easter.

nurses who work our weekend program still have to work 40 hours/week, which means they're working 5/6 weekends plus whatever weekday shifts they need to make up their 20 shifts every six weeks. in exchange, they get an extra 20% on top of whatever their normal pay rate would be. they also get first crack at the schedule every time, and first crack at signing up for on call as well. i don't think it's unreasonable to ask them to work every other holiday!

[Riseupandnurse]

Ruby Vee---If a holiday falls on a weekend, such as Christmas Eve and Christmas on Saturday and Sunday, what would be the next holiday the week-end people would have to work? I'm trying to figure out how that system operates.

[birdgardner]

"My Manager is interested in implementing a new team approach to working the holidays that will require weekenders (part-timers) to not only work every weekend of every year (with the exception of 3 weekends PTO per year) but to be assigned to come in to work holiday shifts that fall during M-F."

I'd like to know why your manager calls this a "team approach." Your manager wants to compel a group of nurses to come in on days they have chosen not to work and have not contracted to work. How about nurses standing together and putting the pressure on management to use incentives to solve holiday staffing crises, rather than compulsion?

And Merry Christmas to those working who would rather be home with their families.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

ruby vee---if a holiday falls on a weekend, such as christmas eve and christmas on saturday and sunday, what would be the next holiday the week-end people would have to work? i'm trying to figure out how that system operates.

if christmas falls on saturday and it's your christmas to work, you'd work it. if it falls on a saturday and it's not your holiday to work, you have it off. it's that simple. holiday supercedes weekend. but if christmas falls on a tuesday and it's your christmas to work, you may be working saturday, sunday, monday and tuesday. people work every other holiday, and we have seven holidays. so you know years in advance which holidays you're going to have to schedule yourself for. if you can work out a trade with someone, you schedule yourself for your holiday then trade after the schedule comes out.

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

I personally think your manager's idea stinks! When I worked the floor, our weekend staff worked 3 12's. Some were F,S,S and some worked S,S,M.

There were three years in a row when the weekenders worked holidays. Then the next several years it was the weekdayers who worked holidays.

People knew they were stuck with it and knew it was for the most part fair.

We had a holiday sign up sheet put up in October. People signed up for holidays they wanted OFF, in order of preference. That list was compared with last year's schedule to make sure it was fair (that somebody didn't get the same three holidays off two years running), and the schedule was put out. We could trade after the schedule was up and give written copies to our manager.

I thank God daily that I now work 9 to 5 and have all holidays off and am out of that mess!!!