SCHEDULING/WEEKENDS

[apriloglesby]

Our unit is reviewing our current scheduling guidelines and weekend requirements. I am trying to get the "good" and "bad" of how other hospitals do it.....so I can compile a list of suggestions and ideas to bring to the table and perhaps improve staff engagement, satisfaction and morale.

Currently, we have weekend requirements based on years in our unit, so our senior nurses work little to no weekends and newer staff works the majority. We also do set schedules, again, based on seniority. Our strongest days are the middle of the week and the weakest are the weekends. Several "newer" nurses (me included with 6 years experience) are wanting a change for the better, for fairness and for equal experience on all shifts.

So what does your unit do that you do and don't like?

Any suggestions for us?

Thanks!!

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

I did the schedules in my last position.

Everyone was obligated to be available to work two out of the 4 weekends of each schedule, however we had so many weekenders that having to actually work the 4 shifts was rare.

I tried to give those with the highest seniority (over 20 years or so) less weekends but no one got off scot-free. With the weekenders in place, we would be overstaffed if everyone was scheduled for 4 shifts, so everyone usually ended up working 1-3 shifts, and if someone worked 3-4 one schedule, it'd be evened out the next time.

[ChinupBSNRN]

I really like how my unit schedules.

We self schedule, and 98% of the time you get the schedule you sign up for. There may be an occasional day where we are experience weak and newbie heavy so they have to make a couple of adjustments.

As for holidays, we have to work 1 major 2 minor. Major are xmas and turkey day. Minor are fri after turkey day, xmas eve, and new years eve/day. If you work thanksgiving, you are off xmas and vice versa. Summer holidays you have to work 2 of the 3. (July 4th, Labor and Memorial day).

Weekends--we have to work 6 weekend shifts over 6 weeks. But we count Fri, Sat, and Sun as weekend days. Theoretically, you could work every Friday and fulfill the weekend requirement. Not too bad if you are day shift!

Hope this helps a little! I really love the way we schedule. Everyone pretty much gets what they want, and it has nothing to do with seniority. We are all level playing field.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

The OP said she has 6 years experience and thus is considered a newbie. 6 years seems like enough (unless we are talking about critical care) to not worry that the patients are in danger from lack of competent staff on weekends, lol.

Change it much, and you may totally lose all experienced staff. There is no way in he// I'd agree to work a w/e, for instance. I did my share when I was green. No more.

My suggestion would be to make everyone part of the process and see what they would be willing to do, and under what circumstances. They may solve the problem for you without any acrimony.

[elmoRN]

Seniority doesn't matter on my unit. Everyone is required to work every third weekend, and everyone works one major holiday and two minor. Plus everyone has to be on call for one holiday. We self schedule, and we are required to work at least one thursday and one sunday every schedule which is 4 weeks. I work nights, so our weekend is Friday and Saturday. The self scheduling works ok, but I never get exactly what I ask for. They tend to move us around a lot if there are too many new people signed up for a shift. Overall I think the schedule is pretty good. I like every third weekend bc it is more flexible than every other.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Hmmm....weekends based on seniority......I have not seen this in 32 years. Union or non union. I have seen weekend positions developed for weekend charge for senior nurses. Mostly every other weekend or every third weekend with one major one minor holiday every six months. I always allowed self scheduling and they had 2 chances to make it work. Then I made the schedule and I don't take requests. I required the charges for each shift must have senority to act as a resource person and an extension of myself for issues and to notify me if there were problems.

Sounds to me like you have some senior nurses who have manipulated a pretty sweet deal....

[bill4745, RN]

Every fourth weekend, every other holiday, nothing differs by seniority.

[pumpkin455]

We do self scheduling at my hospital. There are certain requirements on the days you sign up but they are very reasonable. We work every 3rd weekend...not bad at all! There are only a couple of nurses that work no weekends whatsoever but they work 40 hour weeks M-F and have been there for 20 + years...so I think that's fair.

[RNperdiem, RN]

My unit does self scheduling.

There are a few nurses who have held on to their weekend pay plans all these years and are not giving them up because of the pay cut involved. I see them every weekend year after year.

Another large group of nurses are going to school(MSN, NP, law school etc.) and tend to work lots of weekends to fit in class time. They fill some more of the weekend slots on the schedule.

Then you get the per diem staff who work weekends only, and then there are few openings left available on weekends.

I think the rule is every 3rd weekend for full time staff, but good luck trying to find work on weekends here.

[TPeters73]

Wow, I just realized how good I have it! We aren't required to work weekends at all. :) I'm in a hospital, 36 bed unit. Umpteen nurses that all have a set, yet flexible schedule. I'm scheduled to work every Tu/Wed/Thur and no weekends. Some people are always scheduled to work Sat/Sun and one other day during the week. If they need a weekend day off, the process is to send out an e-mail asking for volunteers to take the shift or to swap out a week day shift someone is scheduled for. Some of us just have people that we have gotten to be friends with and they are our go to people to switch with. For instance, i sometimes swap out my Tuesday for another nurses' Sunday or Sat. shift if she needs a day off. It gives them a weekend day if they need it and keeps me from working 3 days in a row. The weekends also have a weekend dif of $5 per hour. We just have to notify our supervisor or the house supervisor of the change. If someone needs off and they can't find anyone to take their shift, the supervisor will evaluate if another nurse is needed based on census and if so, someone who works prn will be called in, but I really can't remember a time recently when this has happened.

We always have a preliminary schedule and can make changes before it's finalized.

As for Holidays, we are all required to work 8 hour shifts on Thanksgiving, Christmas/eve, and New Yr./eve, BUT are able to swap out if needed and like previous posters, if you work one this year, you are off the next unless you opt to switch shifts.

[tma0312]

We are required every other weekend; however, I am the newest one and never seem to get scheduled weekends. Alot of the other nurses who have been there like their weekend shift differential and we are also staffed by Baylor nurses who only work weekends. We are considering changing the requirement to every third weekend for regular staff.

When our unit opened up, some of the nurses from other units were offered positions with no weekends in order to encourage them work there so it wasn't all newbie nurses. There are only a couple of those, though.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Our schedule is done in 4 week blocks. You are required to sign up for one full weekend, 2 Fridays, 1 Monday and one other Sat/Sun per block. If we are overstaffed (many people will sign up for extra weekends esp during the school year) then people get pulled off by seniority.

We have perks for people there 20 year plus...they include only one weekend per block for 6 months, no floating, working only one winter or summer holiday, extra requests for 6 months. Sure we hear a lot of grumbling from the newer people, but when you have worked for over 20 years in the same place you do deserve something!

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

We self-schedule with the caveat that our weekends and holidays are required. Every third weekend, unless there's a good reason for other arrangements (like school). We all know our weekends well ahead of time, obviously, and there's usually not an issue swapping shifts with people. Holidays sound screwy when I explain them, but it works...we have nine summer holidays and nine winter holidays, each staff member is assigned to A, B, or C groups. Each group is assigned three summer and three winter holidays, and we rotate. It's a good split between minor and major holidays. Plus, assuming no changes get made, I could tell you now what holidays I'll be working in 2035...makes it easier to plan family activities.

I could see once 20 years are in having perks like no weekends, but other than that it seems flawed to do w/e rotation (or no w/e at all) based on seniority. Seems like a recipe for resentment.