self scheduling

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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My L&D unit is looking to change to self scheduling. Does anyone have any help with setting up self scheduling guidelines or can you give me feedback on using self scheduling for L&D. We do about 175 deliveries a month and staff with a mixture of FT, PT, Flextime and on call RNs. Thanks for your help!

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My facility has done self scheduling off and on a few times. I personally LOVE it. We had guidelines for how many night shifts were required, according to seniority.

0-3 years in the department, required at least 1/2 nights, 3-5 years, 1/3-1/2 nights, 5-10 years, 1/4 -1/3 nights and over 10 years, don't have to work nights at all unless you want to. Full time people scheduled first, then part time, the per diem. I really like self scheduling and would highly recommend it. It may take a few times to get all of the kinks worked out, but it works great.

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If self scheduling is to work, there have to be some guidelines established first. You didn't say whether your unit works 8's or 12's, or the size of the unit, ie how many nurses.

If you work 12's, do you have to work a 4th every third week? How often do you have to work weekends? With 12 hr shifts, self scheduling can give you a LIFE. But there do have to be rules about how many Fridays, the day shift has to work and how many Sunday nights - the night shift has to work (if the weekend is Fri & Sat nights. There will always be those who want to take advantage and have all the long weekends and that is why you have to establish guidelines first.

Do you have mandatory on-call? Can you make that a part of your self scheduling? If not all your plans are for nothing. You may plan a wonderful schedule only to have it interupted with a call smack in the middle of a stretch off.

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Marilynn Conway, RNC

Andes, New York

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Originally posted by WKelleyRN:

My L&D unit is looking to change to self scheduling. Does anyone have any help with setting up self scheduling guidelines or can you give me feedback on using self scheduling for L&D. We do about 175 deliveries a month and staff with a mixture of FT, PT, Flextime and on call RNs. Thanks for your help!

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i currently work for a unit that is self scheduled, if you would like info on this please e-mail me @ [email protected] there is not enough space here for me to tell you how it works and how we avoid the "glitches" that come with self scheduling. i would be happy to e mail you what info i have. smile.gif

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we use self-scheduling...& have for years!

all are on 12 hour shifts.......7a to 7p to 7a

we have a few basic rules: full-timers work every other weekend.... half the "major" holidays/year...That's it! VSP/pool work one weekend a month....and 1/4 the holidays! The RN assigned to coordinate the schedules is "the final word," however.

We are given a blank, four-week schedule about four weeks in advance...we are given a week or two to pencil in our preferences (w=work, x=off, R=we reallly, really need that specific date off...like kids are in a play or court or anniversary or nursing conference) At the bottom of each day's column is the # of RNs needed to staff that shift (we try to run 12-14 on weekdays and 10-12 on weekends) so, if there are already four nurses putting in special requests for a certain day off, it would be a good idea to volunteer to work that day if you can.

In L&D, we work so closely together that we very rarely have much difficulty getting all the days covered. If, at the end of a week the days are still way "lopsided" the scheduling RN makes a few phone calls requesting people switch...& has the right to "assign" if necessary...which happens very, very rarely!

good luck! It's nice to be in control of your own schedule! Haze cool.gif

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i currently work for a unit that is self scheduled, if you would like info on this please e-mail me @ [email protected] there is not enough space here for me to tell you how it works and how we avoid the "glitches" that come with self scheduling. i would be happy to e mail you what info i have. smile.gif

Hello Rankin

Iwork a nursing home in Ontario. I don't know much about self scheduling but am hoping it will work for our facility. Any information you have would be appreciated, especially problems. Please e-mail me at [email protected]

Sincerely

ervinj

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

this thread is 5 years old. Probably won't find the OP around here anymore.Also, be really careful about posting personal email addresses online. You are opening yourself up for real trouble potential there.

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Hello Rankin

Iwork a nursing home in Ontario. I don't know much about self scheduling but am hoping it will work for our facility. Any information you have would be appreciated, especially problems. ervinj

Thanks for the tip ervinj
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this thread is 5 years old. Probably won't find the OP around here anymore.Also, be really careful about posting personal email addresses online. You are opening yourself up for real trouble potential there.

Hi SmilingBluEyes

Thanks for the tip. As soon as I figure out how to fix it I'll change it.

Ervinj

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