self-scheduling blues

[chandani1115]

My unit is going from a rotating schedule with 8 days off every four weeks to self scheduling and I absolutely hate it. I was promised this schedule & I don't think it's fair. I loved knowing when I'l be off for the entire year and I loved working three shifts in a row but some of my coworkers do not so the last person ends up with leftovers that are scattered all over the place. I'm so frustrated I'm thinking to look for another job

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Many self scheduling programs let you put in a permanent set schedule, so every time the new requests come up it loads automatically with your set schedule. Is this a program or on paper?

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

Usually they try to make it to be fair. I prefer self-scheduling since the shifts I work when I had a set schedule were screwed up. I had like 6 days in a row and then a bunch of days off. It was ridiculous.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

And a self scheduling situation is a "perk" as opposed to standard. Unfortunately, unless you have in writing in your hire letter that you would be scheduled 3 in a row, 3 off then 3 in a row 8 off....whatever specific schedule you were given, then it more than likely says "rotating shifts" or "day/night rotation".

If you are union discuss with them. "Past practice" comes to mind. But then there's all this language about "needs of the facility" and such.

I have known self scheduling to be rotating. Each nurse gets a chance to "pick first". Regardless, it always ends up that someone is on a shift they hate. For instance, every 6 months one has to do a night rotation and they have always been a day nurse. 7p-7a is torture to anyone who doesn't usually embrace the night shift.

I would think your manager needs to look at hire letters and see who was hired to a shift specific position. Those are the scheduled by manager nurses. Those who are more recent and perhaps have a more generalized "day/night, eve/night rotating" letter can do the self scheduling, and rotate amongst themselves so that they don't always have 2 nights, a day off, a day, and then off.....in other words, ya don't wanna kill em or utter them useless.

On the other side of the coin, please don't make a long term night nurse work days. It doesn't usually go well......