Schedule Change

[rkrs6673]

Has anyone had to tell their staff that they would have to start working every other weekend. Our staffing is low and in order to provide safe and adequate staffing for our patients I am needed to make this change in our staffing. I am looking for suggestions or examples that may have been used before. Thanks for any help that you can give.

[Ahhphoey]

While I've never been a manager having to deliver this news, I have been on the receiving end and I think the way it was handled in my situation was adequate. Some staff are going to be upset regardless, and you may even lose a couple folks, but safety has to come first. In my case, when I worked med-surg my manager announced it at a staff meeting one shedule (6 weeks) before the change was to occur to allow parents to make arrangements. But, while it can be looked at as negative that staff now has to do more weekends, the positive that my manager pointed out was not having to work short every weekend anymore. Also, weekends tended to be a little more laid back and we had the same weekend crews on your given weekend, we began to have little potlucks or other activities just to make it less "painful" to do a weekend. Either way it has to be done, so the staff can go kicking and screaming, or they can just accept and make the best of the change.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Another way to handle it is to ask the staff to come up with some kind of acceptable staffing pattern.

Maybe some folks would like to work every weekend?

[rkrs6673]

Thank you both for your responses!

[proudnurseRN]

I prefer to work weekends. Even though we have a required 3 weekend nights a schedule, I usually do 5-6. It's more convenient for me because my husband has that time off and my older step-daughter to help. Anyway, I don't know that it helps your situation, but I don't think that requirement is unusual.

[Straydandelion]

I went from a hospital with every third week-end off to one with every other week-end off and there was a gigantic difference. Weekends on the every other being much harder due to the number of staff (I actually liked the every third much better due to that fact). I would suggest approach it as you posted, safer environment to work in and much easier on the people that DO work that week-end.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Is it possible to hire staff for weekends only?

Even if weekend pay plans are a thing of the past, many people in my department go to school during the week and work every weekend.