Working Weekends: How often? Seniority based?

[BiscuitStripes, BSN, RN]

How often do you have to work weekends at your hospital? Does seniority play a factor? If a nurse has a certain amount of tenure with your hospital, can they be excluded from working weekends?

[NursKris]

Been at my hospital for 32 years...work every other weekend...seniority means *** here LOL

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

New grads start out working every third weekend and senior nurses work every fourth. Every fourth is based on seniority. There are XX number of nurses working every fourth. You move up on the list when nurses with more seniority retire or move onto another job. It is not based on "if you have x number of years experience, you work every fourth weekend".

[Sour Lemon]

At the places I've worked, every other weekend was required for all staff. I have always preferred to work weekends, so when I worked on a tiny unit, one of the other nurses got every weekend off.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Every third here. There are a lot of per diem nurses who prefer to work only weekends for school or childcare reasons, plus the weekend differential is good here (extra $15/hr for weekend nights), means that the regular full-time staff have more free weekend days off.

[Kastiara, ASN, RN]

We have to pick up 6 weekend shift in a 6 week period regardless of how long you have worked here. We self schedule, so people pick and chose what weekend they want to work. Some will work one weekend day/night each week. Some will do every other weekend. I personally prefer working weekends for the higher differential.

[BiscuitStripes, BSN, RN]

I’m new to my unit, which is every other weekend, but I’ve noticed some of the more senior nurses aren’t scheduled for any weekends. So I’m not sure if it’s a seniority thing, they’re switching with someone who prefers to work weekends, or what.

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

Depends. Old job was the more seniority you had the less weekends/holidays you had to work. Current job it's every other weekend regardless of seniority. However, I will say the shift diff is much better at current job than my old job so most don't mind working weekends.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

If you are in a union hospital, sometimes that can dictate weekend requirements.

We have every third weekend.

I think after 20 years it is one a month, I believe after 2 years you don't have to work weekends.

Now if you work in management or are salaried it doesn't matter

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

On 7/19/2020 at 12:01 PM, ER_BiscuitStripes said:

I’m new to my unit, which is every other weekend, but I’ve noticed some of the more senior nurses aren’t scheduled for any weekends. So I’m not sure if it’s a seniority thing, they’re switching with someone who prefers to work weekends, or what.

Both of these explanations are very plausible and reasonable. If you must know (since it doesn't impact your own weekend requirement), your best option is to ask your manager or scheduling committee in regards to weekend requirements and if they change based on years of service.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

On 7/21/2020 at 8:48 AM, RNNPICU said:

If you are in a union hospital, sometimes that can dictate weekend requirements.

We have every third weekend.

I think after 20 years it is one a month, I believe after 25 years you don't have to work weekends.

Now if you work in management or are salaried it doesn't matter

This should be after 25 years no weekends

[whofan, ADN, BSN, RN]

My job offers weekend plan. But weekends pay more so most of the new grads want the weekends to help pay off debt.