self-scheduling blues

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?

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.

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......