Scheduling woes

[ICRN2008, BSN, RN]

I have repeatedly asked my manager and supervisor to honor certain minor requests:

1) to work all 3 of my shifts in a row or at least not every other night

2) not being scheduled for five or more 12s in a row

3) to have off for one Saturday (in the past five months) for my sisters wedding

4) most importantly, to have my schedule more than one week in advance.

5) I made a request almost 3 months in advance to have a week off in August

Instead, my supervisor scheduled me for the day of my sisters wedding and even though I reminded her twice she left on vacation before fixing it. I have repeatedly been scheduled for every other day (such as Mon, Wed and Fri or Tues, Thurs and Sat.) I still do not have my schedule for the week of July 15th. I was turned down for vacation time in August and I am still waiting to hear whether I will be able to have any time off this summer at all.

My organization prides itself on being family-friendly, but I disagree wholeheartedly. The last place I worked had self-scheduling, so this was never an issue. If I wanted a day off I negotiated it with my coworkers when we made our schedule (at least a month in advance, I might add).

My question is: Do you think that I am being unreasonable with my requests? Do we not deserve a little respect and the ability to be able to have some semblance of a normal life? I am not an indentured servant to my boss, but sometimes I think that my supervisor considers whatever we need to do outside of work to be trivial to the point that she just schedules us whenever she fees like it.

Thanks for your feedback.

[icuwant2rn]

Can you get another nurse to swap days with you when you see that your schedule is not what you wanted? We can do this where I work. As long as there is someone to cover it they are fine with it; we have a piece of paper to fill out and leave in our managers mail box. Also, I would first see if someone would cover your sisters wedding day, but if not: Call in for personal reasons!!

P.S. I would probably be looking to transfer to another unit if I had to put up with this all the time.

[ICRN2008, BSN, RN]

Thanks for your reply- my sister's wedding was actually last weekend. I finally got another supervisor to fix my schedule four days before the wedding, but not without a lot of reminding and sweating on my part.

As far as switching my schedule, I am currently in orientation on an oncology unit to obtain chemotherapy certification. As such, I am not able to switch days because there is a shortage of people who can serve as preceptors (this unit has a relatively inexperienced staff and high turn-over). As it is my preceptor is also charge nurse most nights and spends most of her time dealing with staffing issues instead of mentoring me.

However, when I was staffing prior to this orientation I still was not able to have my scheduling requests honored. I think that I know in my heart that things will not get better if they haven't already (it's been six months) but I'm hesitant to even consider leaving my first nursing job so soon.

[htrn]

I feel your pain. Did work in a hospital where we could request our day off during the week for a specific day for any reason - kids sports game, play, MD appt, bowling league, etc.... and it was honored 99% of the time. Moved to a different hospital recently - can only request off for medical, dental or legal reasons - period, the end, no more.

Apparently RNs put in first, second and third choice for vacations at the beginning of the year and you don't know which one you will get until that schedule comes out - sometimes a week or so before the schedule started.

Between the scheduling policies and the back biting politicing that goes on, not sure how much longer I can stand to work there.

It sounds like your supervisor does not respect her nurses enough to make the schedule work for you folks. It also sounds like a chronic problem. So the question is, how long are you willing to put up with it.

Brush off your resume and see how it flies - what other opportunities are out there for you. You may be very pleasantly surprised. Good luck.

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

When my daughter was 2 years old, she was in a wedding. I asked for the day off and was "punished" by having to work 5 weekends in a row for it. Also, my manager couldn't understand why I also needed off the Friday of the rehearsal dinner when I wasn't in the wedding--UH, she is TWO-can't drive herself there, is barely potty trained!! I did have to work the Sunday after the wedding in addition to the 5 weekends in a row. I know this story is not advice for you, more like sympathy and to let you know you are not alone.

[bigsyis]

It sounds like where I used to work. In ER we could rearrange our schedules however we wanted as long as our shifts were covered, it was marked on the schedule at the Nurse's station, and on the schedule in Administration, PLUS it would not involve overtime on anyone's part. It worked exceptionally well for us, until I wanted to marry again. Nobody knew-my husband and I decided on Wed. that we would marry on Saturday. I was a day-shift RN (always) and was scheduled to work 7a-7p the day before the wedding-no biggie. On THURSDAY, my Manager called me at home to tell me I would be working 7p-7a on Friday. When I protested, she said that she was the manager, and she could change it if she wanted to. When I asked why she was changing it, it was TO ALLOW THE HUSBAND OF HER BEST FRIEND TO WORK PER DIEM IN OUR ER, BUT HE WOULDN'T WORK NIGHTS!!! I was beyond furious, but I showed up and busted my tail all night long, went home, slept for 2 hrs, got up, got packed, and drove 3 hrs w/my fiancee to the town where we were married at 1700 that day.

I am not sure what the answer to your situation might be, but (and no flaming here, please) when you have no advocacy such as a union could provide, it basically comes down to you and your wits against the powers that be. I did work in an ER once that let us self-schedule, and like you, that was the best scheduling experience that I ever had.

Your requests do not sound at all unreasonable or ill-timed to me.

[caliotter3]

Unless everyone is being treated the same way regarding scheduling, it looks as if you are not being respected. If it is important enough of an issue with you,you can consider making your displeasure known by leaving. I went through a situation at a job place where I had been hired to replace a non-performer and my school schedule was being respected. The non-performer sweet talked a new supervisor and got her desires for days off honored and I was told that my school schedule would no longer be honored. It never got to the point where I had the chance to leave, but I certainly figured out where I stood in the pecking order. I never could understand how somebody who was supposed to be fired, suddenly started getting her schedule the way she wanted it.

I would have a frank talk with them concerning your issues. If you can't come to a reasonable agreement, then decide whether or not it is worth finding a new job. Good luck.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

my question is: do you think that i am being unreasonable with my requests? do we not deserve a little respect and the ability to be able to have some semblance of a normal life? i am not an indentured servant to my boss, but sometimes i think that my supervisor considers whatever we need to do outside of work to be trivial to the point that she just schedules us whenever she fees like it.

thanks for your feedback.

is everyone else being treated the same way as far as scheduling? if you're being singled out, it could be that your manager is trying to tell you something without coming right out and telling you.

i worked in one place where there was a very strong union and they couldn't fire you unless you did something heinous. i never did figure out what was enough to get one fired because the nurse who aborted herself in the employee bathroom in the middle of her shift and then walked off the unit without telling anyone, leaving a trail of blood down to the main lobby and out the front door got written up but not fired. the nurse who routinely called in sick from the bar down the street two hours after her shift started is still working there. the nurse who held his wife at gunpoint while the police battered down his front door went back to work after he got out of jail.

if management wanted to get rid of you, they did it by f@#$ing with your schedule until you couldn't take it anymore and quit. could that be what's going on here?

[jojotoo, RN]

I never knew so many people had so much trouble with their schedules. I spend quite a bit of time working on the staff schedule to make sure everyone gets what they ask for. We have very little confict with it, but what disagreements we do have are usually smoothly solved with a little negotiation.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Has this been a long term problem since you got off orientation? Orientation means following your preceptor's schedule. I worked 5 12's in a row because my preceptor had an out of state boyfriend to visit. OK. But long term had self scheduling.

Summer vacations can be a tricky thing to satisfy everyone with, especially with an inexperienced staff, high acuity and call-ins.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I had a 5 pm flight to London.Leaving from Charlotte 120 mi away from my house. My manager couldn't understand why I couldn't work til 330 as the airport was only 90 mins away.

I had a Bible conference in Chattanooga New Years day and the day after. She couldn't comprehend why aI couldn't work New year's eve night shift........sometimes "not comprehend" is the same as skew you I believe.