I just wanted some helpful advice. I have been a nurse for 4 years, I've been working at my current job at the hospital for about a little less than a year. I Don't like all the weekends and holidays(does anyone ?) but I REALLY HATE that I in particular get stuck working them more often then anyone else on my floor! We do self scheduling and are required to do 6 weekend shifts in 6 weeks. I always sign up for my weekends but somehow my schedule is always moved. This schedule, I was moved to work every single weekend for 9 weeks straight. And I don't mean 9 shifts, there's at least one but often 2. Meanwhile, we have new grads that just came off orientation who have just 3 total weekend shifts. I brought this to the attention of my boss and she said well I print a report to make sure it's even but I'll check again. I did end up luckily being switched off the Sunday after thanksgiving because I had requested off, but had been scheduled thanksgiving, Black Friday and Sunday. I should work thanksgiving it is my holiday after all, but I had specifically requested off the weekend after because my family is doing thanksgiving with our extended family out of town that weekend.
And it's not just that, my entire schedule is constantly moved while others are not. Since I was given off that Sunday I then come back to work on Wednesday on one, off one, on 3, off one, on 2 aka 6 out of 8 days in a row. I know some people can do their schedule like that, however I am not one of those people which I have said before. I prefer to do 3 in a row or on 2 off 1 on 1 and then actually have a few days off. I do have some health issues, nothing that's considered a disability, so I need to give myself some time to recoup.
I feel very guilty for wanting to leave because our floor is a revolving door and I was very grateful for this opportunity. But at the same time, I see why people do leave. Everyone hates our floor and no one ever wants to be pulled there. It's a handful (but that's nursing) but the scheduling is my biggest issue.
I'm a newly wed, TTC, and I only have 3 days off with my husband in 2 months (he has an M-F 8-4 job)? That's ridiculous! I just don't want to feel guilty or like a failure if I explore other options
Specializes in LTC, Wounds, Med/Surg, Tele, Triage.
I actually left my bedside RN Med Surg position in 2011 do to the indifference with scheduling. It was a rotating shift when I accepted it 7p - 7am/7a - 7pm. But I had discussed with my UM wanting night shift only when I took the position. She said when staffing allowed for it, yes, we could do it. There is more demand for day shift anyway so it wouldn't be a problem. Well, after 2 years of the crazy rotating I got pregnant and the rotating was not healthy for me anymore. And by that point I realized UM wasn't going to do anything about it. My OB/GYN offered me intermittent FMLA but it would count against my maternity leave...you get 12 weeks per year, no matter the reason. So, when I was offered medications, AMBIEN, while pregnant, just so I could work the wacky shifts, I bolted. My manager didn't think I could get hired at 5 months prego...well, I now work on the phone, teletriage, scheduling, etc. I do work days 8 - 5p No weekends, no holidays, no rotating! Been here 4 years now and have my sights set on a Masters in Care Management. Sometimes I feel bad that I'm not using all my bedside clinical skills, I really didn't want to leave the bedside, but I felt my health and a healthy pregnancy was more important.
I have left a job because of a bad schedule. Sometimes a manager will do that to you on purpose to edge you out. If you leave on your own it doesn't look as though they have done anything wrong.
You can find a work at home job! There are many insurance/Disease management companies hiring. I love working at home no weekends or holidays ever.
I have tried searching high and low! I live in a very small area (there's 2 hospitals in our whole county). I've tried looking into insurance companies, the biggest in our area is high mark blue cross blue shield and they are not hiring in this part of the state unfortunately
This is why I love unions. At my last job, our union contract specified six weekend shifts in six weeks. If you didn't schedule them yourself, management could schedule them FOR you, but if they moved you so that you ended up working split weekends or more than six weekend shifts, you got double time for those shifts. For years, I worked every weekend because the differentials were so good. And then I decided I didn't want to anymore. I scheduled myself for six weekend shifts (3 weekends.) Management plugged in an extra weekend shift here and an extra weekend shift there and suddenly I had 8 weekend shifts -- five weekends. I went to my manager and told her I'd be happy to work the schedule as published, but I wanted my double time. The schedule was changed before I even left the office.
I wouldn't quit the job yet. If the scheduling is your biggest problem, try to work that out first. Sit down with your manager (or whoever does the schedule) and tell them that you're obligated to work three out of six weekends, and that's what you're willing to work. And if they give you a bunch of push back about "Well we have to cover the weekends," and "Who is going to work them?" be prepared with the names of those who aren't working their full weekend commitment. You may have to do this more than once. The second time, point out that you are frustrated enough to consider leaving.
Here's another thought, though. Is management trying to get rid of you for some reason? I haven't seen many people get fired over the years, but if management wants you gone one of the first things they'll do is start shafting you with your schedule. It could be they want you to get angry and walk. I don't know you and I have no idea if this is even a possibility, but perhaps it is something to consider.
I would only ever leave a position if something else is lined up first, and I'm only willing to leave for the *right* job. I have applied a few places that are of actual interest rather than taking whatever I can get.
I don't think they are trying to get rid of me. My reviews have always been good and I've never been in any sort of trouble, so I don't think that's it.
We have recently had quite a few nurses leave or go to standby, about 10 in less than 6 months. I don't know if maybe they are trying to keep the nurses who have been there 5+ years happy by letting them schedule however they please, but several of the nurses who have been on the unit for a while said that it seems like certain people get away with certain things (not working their holidays or weekends). If that's the way it is, fine. But that doesn't explain the fact that the people just coming off orientation aren't scheduling their weekends either, unless they are trying to keep them happy until they get dumped on in a few months.
I'm currently in this situation, and will be looking for a new job and leaving hopefully beginning of next year. In my experience, my unit is only worried about their needs and careless about mine. When I request days off, it feels like I purposely get scheduled on those days, while the other employees are constantly requesting days off and getting PTO to go on vacations and their requests are approved. I don't even ask for many days off, and when I do I don't get them approved. Adding to this, they refuse to give me days off for school. I had never had this issue in my previous employers. All this to say, I would definitely leave a job due to scheduling issues.
mudd68
82 Posts
I actually left my bedside RN Med Surg position in 2011 do to the indifference with scheduling. It was a rotating shift when I accepted it 7p - 7am/7a - 7pm. But I had discussed with my UM wanting night shift only when I took the position. She said when staffing allowed for it, yes, we could do it. There is more demand for day shift anyway so it wouldn't be a problem. Well, after 2 years of the crazy rotating I got pregnant and the rotating was not healthy for me anymore. And by that point I realized UM wasn't going to do anything about it. My OB/GYN offered me intermittent FMLA but it would count against my maternity leave...you get 12 weeks per year, no matter the reason. So, when I was offered medications, AMBIEN, while pregnant, just so I could work the wacky shifts, I bolted. My manager didn't think I could get hired at 5 months prego...well, I now work on the phone, teletriage, scheduling, etc. I do work days 8 - 5p No weekends, no holidays, no rotating! Been here 4 years now and have my sights set on a Masters in Care Management. Sometimes I feel bad that I'm not using all my bedside clinical skills, I really didn't want to leave the bedside, but I felt my health and a healthy pregnancy was more important.