Thank you for all of your responses! We are going to start having the charge nurses make the assignments. Now, I just have to compose an email letting everyone know...that should be fun!
Our unit is considering using a pod leader to help decide what patients would be an appropriate assignment for the shift. Has anyone ever worked somewhere this was used successfully? At the moment, we are assigned a pod and all the nurses decide what assignment they want. It seems to take forever sometimes, and the off going shift is ready to go.