How does your unit make the nursing schedule?

[smb84]

I am curious and would like to know how your unit makes their nursing schedule. I believe that the way my floor does things is incredibly inefficient... once a month on schedule day, the nurse that is in charge of the schedule calls each individual nurse throughout the day to pick a schedule. The list is divided into 6 groups and the groups rotate each month. I just hate to have to wait around all day for someone to call me to make my schedule. And, if I just worked night shift, I want to sleep and not be bothered! We do have a lot of staff but there has to be a better way. How do you do yours?

[havehope]

We have "pencil schedules" where the nurses/CNAs are able to fill in the days they want off or the days they want to work. Whenever there are too many nurses that want to work one a particular day etc. usually the ones the charge nurse likes the most gets it. So many have complained about this and I believe it is in the works of getting changed. When holidays come around we are suppose to work say this Christmas and off the next. However, things aren't being rotated like they are suppose to, again due to the charge nurses favorites wanting every Christmas off. The supervisor refuses to see this when multiple people complain. But then again you always have that few that complain about anything and everything. I feel we could use a better system also. I'm interested to see how other floors do the schedule.

[BacktotheBeach, ADN, BSN, RN]

Pencil schedule sheet is put out for us to self schedule, but once a day is full, no one else can sign up. It works really well in my department. Holidays are rotated every three years, everyone works one summer holiday and one winter holiday. A list is posted well in advance, so everyone knows their holiday for the upcoming year.

[brithoover]

We self schedule online. Divided into 3 groups and rotate who goes first. Only a certain number if day and night shifts available to choose. Then then schedule monitor goes around and asks ppl to make changes (max 3) based on needs

[loriangel14, RN]

Our jobs have a 4 week schedule that doesn't change. The full timers always know exactly when they are working because it doesn't change. Part timers that pick up can fill in the holes of their set schedule as they please.We have a central scheduling office that akes care of replacing sick calls, vacations and requests when someone is picking up a shift from someone else.

[catladyRN]

We have a 6 week "template" that you fill out as a new hire and that is what you always work except for scheduled Holidays. I love this because I know exactly when I work for future activities/vacations and I scheduled mine so I get 8 days off every 6 weeks.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

We do pencil scheduling. We divide up into 6 groups the people that have been working there the longest sign up first, those who have just been hired sign up last. This really sucks because by time the last group signs up there is nothing left!!! We are required to work 5 weekend shifts per six week schedule and ofcourse a summer and winter holiday.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We fill out a 4 week block calendar sheet. We are allowed 4 requests off, have to schedule ourselves one full weekend and one Sat/Sun, one Monday and two Fridays. Our schedulers take all the forms, make sure people have put down their minimum requirements, haven't gone over 4 requests ( we are allowed a few extras if we get it approved by the manager, we all know everyone has a busy time once in a while). Then they plug in everyone's schedule as they wrote it. Once that is done they look at the numbers to see if minimum staffing is okay and then they start to move people's days around to fill holes. We can be put on 4 weekend days, but the track it so it isn't always the same people. It is very rare we don't get our four requested days off, but if a lot of people ask for one certain day them it goes by seniority.

If people don't follow the minimum requirements then you lose your requests. People rarely try to work the system after that lol

Holidays: People over 25 years only have to work one holiday in the summer and winter. The others put down their choices in the priority they want them and then it goes by seniority. We have too many shifts to do an A-B schedule.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Pencil schedule sheet is put out for us to self schedule, but once a day is full, no one else can sign up. It works really well in my department. Holidays are rotated every three years, everyone works one summer holiday and one winter holiday. A list is posted well in advance, so everyone knows their holiday for the upcoming year.

At my hospital unit, that's essentially how we did it. Our supervisor said she trusted us to work it out fairly and equitably or she would have to get involved in it, and she mentioned that we probably wouldn't like that. So most times it all worked out without having to bug her with it. I loved that.

Where I am now it's a five day a week facility (no holidays, no nights, no weekends), so it's just a matter of which part of the facility one is working. Our NM assigns. I'm PRN, so I just let her know when I'm available, and if she needs me, she lets me know.