Scheduling and shifts in other hospitals

fawnsternurse · Feb 27, 2009

Hi, I use to live and work in Rochester too and that is what I absolutely HATED about that area.

No, in reponse to your question other hospitals do not do it this way.

This is so totally unhealthy that I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that they actually require this. It is archaic at best and goes against every health principle I know. And for Rochester... an area that is so progressive otehrwise.

This is precisely why I only work per diem now. Because management acts like they own you otherwise.

Slavery went out with Lincoln.

coco3299 · Feb 27, 2009

I have worked in Miami, Atlanta, and New Orleans and all these places require 12 hour shifts and its either day or night, no swinging with every other weekend required. I usually work per diem which requires 3 weekend days with a total of 6 shifts per month. I can't imagine working 8 hours again let alone swinging. How is the pay?

nickos · Feb 28, 2009

I work as a tech, not a nurse, but the way it works in my hospital is you work either days, eves or nights (differentials increasing for eves and nights) and everyone works every other weekend (meaning Sat and Sun - you may have Fri off on your weekend off, you may not). We have "patterns" that alternate week one, week two, week one, etc. Seems to work alright here.

RochesterRN-BSN, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2009

12 can be okay but can be long too-- I am a single mom so working the 12s is hard sometimes......can't do one if I have my son that eve and if I don't then I get out late there is no time to do anything. especialy if you have to be back in the morning for another 12-- our shifts on my unit and the other psych units just at this hospital run 0000--0800, 0800--1600 and 1600---0000, some 12 hour shifts..... If I work 0800 till 2000 and report till 2030 I get home a few minutes after 2100 and need to go to bed at like 2200--2230 so I can get up to be be back at 0800.......not a whole lot of time in the eve for yourself that way--fells like you should just sleep there. Almost as bad as a total double back.

L&DForMe · Feb 28, 2009

I work at a hospital north of Seattle, and ours is not run that way.

Last year we switched to self scheduling so our rules are a little bit different.

We only work the shifts we were hired to work, unless we volunteer to work extra on a different shift.

Self scheduling rules require that we work at least two weekends in a 6 week period. Sat/Sun for day/evening shifters, and Fri/Sat for night shifters.

They arent too picky about whether staff individually fulfill these requirements as long as the schedule works out. Should they need to move one person off one day/night involuntarily they look for those people who havent fulfilled the weekend requirements.

I love self scheduling! Its cut down on the amount of sick calls we get, and decreased the amount of PTO being used because staff is able to schedule a vacation around their days off. Our nurses are getting a ton of low census right now though, thats eating up their PTO.

RNBSNGRADUATE · Feb 28, 2009

I work in western NC. In my particular hospital -- "most" RNs work 12 hrs shifts...days or nts...we have a handful of 8-hr folks...but mostly 12s....and @ our hospital, you are hired directly for week DAYS or week ENDS...there's a specific crew for week ENDS. Myself -- I was hired for 3 12-hr nights (my extreme preference as I am @ my best in the middle of the nt! lol) during the week. Will NEVER be scheduled for a week END -- EVER. Most floors do "self" scheduling...which, of course you do not always get your "wish list" -- but on my floor they ARE excellent about at least making sure you get your request offs:)

coco3299 · Feb 28, 2009

Yes, my last few jobs have been self scheduling as well. It is great, being that I am usually PRN (and there is a shortage at every hospital imaginable) I schedule the minimum six and pick up the rest when I feel like it.

RochesterRN-BSN, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2009

For some reason the unit I am on now--psych ER--has a hard time finding full time night nurses. We have one guy that is FT 8-hour nights, and one who is FT 12-hour nights and covers the weekends. We staff with 2 RNs and 2 techs on night shift so the rest of the nurses have to cover the rest of the night coverage. Not even every nurse though as we have like maybe 3 that have that waved as they have been there for over 20 years so this is a priviledge they get--getting straight days-- some chose to do 12-hour days. All of the staff that have to cover HATE it so it is a a hot topic and everyone is always complaining -- "I have 6 shifts this schedule and so and so has only 5--this is so unfair!!" that kind of thing...........Like I said I am actually doing only per diem to avoid the night shifts and am getting not many hours-- and have no other income and am a single mom. But I just can't do it. I do have an interview as the Lead RN for a residential adolescent treatment facility on Tuesday--it's Monday--Friday days!! So wish me luck!!!!!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 1, 2009

I'm pretty sure if that was my scheduling option, I wouldn't be working in a hospital. Any hospital that had that kind of setup.

I'm in a different part of NYS, and nurses work 8's or 12's; depends on the unit as to which hours are preferable or mandatory (length of shifts, that is). There is no mandatory swinging in and out of shifts; if you work days, then you work days, etc. Only change from that is if you are asked to cover other shifts, and you agree. Some people DO do that, for the extra money or whatever deal they work out.

I'm a nightshifter and greatly prefer that shift, so it's not that part of the deal that'd break it for me--it'd be the five nights a week thing! I do 12's, wouldn't consider 8's only unless I was prepared to go part-time. I just can't face the stress of my job or the "hardness" of it more than three days a week.

We all do alternate weekends in our facility as well. Not four weekend shifts a month, but every other Sat/Sun pair. Everyone, nurse or housekeeper, has this stipulation, so there's always weekend coverage. Except when there isn't, but that's another story!

RochesterRN-BSN, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2009

Yeah most here do work their 4 shifts in an every other weekend pattern but they do have the choice to do like every Saturday or every Sunday, instead of Sat AND Sun every other weekend. I think if they switched to each person being hired for JUST days, JUST eves or JUST nights....they would have minimal coverage for eves and even worse for nights. I think that is why they do it that way here. The majority of people want straight days. How do you all get the staff that WANTS straight eves, straight nights??????

nicurn001 · Mar 1, 2009

When I worked in the UK we did internal rotation ( from earlier in this thread , I guess its called swinging here in the USA , after 20 years here can still be culturally challenged on occassions ) . Although I know the idea of rotating shifts is not liked here , I'll give a few examples of the advantages of rotating

a) it gives a better mix of staff experience ie.it is not all junior or senior nurses on one shift .

b) There is not the shift identification of staff , so there is less of the snipping between shifts , comments such as " night shift ,sit on their butts alnight and don't do nothing" , Day shift , bunch of prima donna's" etc.

c) we provide 24 hour care , so tasks should be performed when time is available , not that a task is a particular shifts resposibility .

d)Working days should not be a perk , just for those who have survived bed side nursing long enough to finally outlived one of the experienced nurses on days .

Just trying to give a different perspective upon this problem , :twocents: