Self Scheduling/Weekend Requirements

[apriloglesby]

How NICU 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 NICU, 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 and HAPPY NEONATAL NURSES DAY!!!!

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

We do self-scheduling with a minimum of four weekend shifts per month. Sat and Sun count as weekends on day shift. Fri, Sat and Sun count as weekends on nights.

We had a weekender program which has gone by the wayside recently. That has made weekend coverage a little more of an issue, but we're still hanging in there without increasing the weekend shift requirement.

Seniority only comes into play in one area for us - a no-float rule for nurses with 20+ years on our unit. That said, I don't think any of us float a lot anyway (me, twice in two years).

[sunshine1216]

We self schedule, everyone has to do 32 hours of weekend. At least half our time has to be off shift. We do 8 hours on call nights a month.....older nurses who have worked there a long time do not have to do on call

[NICU_babyRN, BSN, RN]

We have a weekend track. So everyone works every third weekend. And the every third weekend is set, so as long as I work in my unit I know which weekend is mine for the rest of my career there! It's A, B and C weekend.

There is one exception: Nurses who are new to the unit work every other weekend for 1 full year post orientation and then they are placed on a track.

We have a weekender program with a one year contract, so any nurse who signs up as a weekender has a 1yr commitment to it.

We must also sign up for 2 mondays and 2 fridays for every four weeks because our M/F coverage was poor.

Lastly, we have 12hr call slots for days and nights. Each nurse takes one slot/month and they keep track bc there are more nurses than there are call slots so you get a break.

The schedulers also keep track and once in a while you get a "short" weekend :)

A few things to know: Our staff doesn't rotate nights or days. I work straight 12hr days. We do not have AM/PM/Night shifts. We have straight 12hr days and 12hr nights.

[Imafloat, BSN, RN]

We have weekend only people as well. We work every third weekend and it is scheduled through the end of time. We are sposed to work 2 Monday's and Fridays per 6 week schedule but that doesn't always work out and newer people get stuck working more. We do self scheduling but things get mixed around.