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 Subject :New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 17 02 2010 04:40 
nurseuncut
Joined: 16 02 2010 07:25
Posts: 2,604
Location: 
In this month's (October) issue of the Lamp NSWNA has taken the battle to the Hunter New England Area Health Service, representing our members in their bid for a flexible and fair rostering system at maitland Hospital.

We ask, do you have rostering issues in your workplace, that need to be addressed?

Plaese share and perhaps together we can come up with ideas that will allow for a fair rostering system across all workplaces.

To read the article in the Lamp head to:
http://www.nswnurses.asn.au/news/24104.html
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 17 02 2010 04:41 
nurseuncut
Joined: 16 02 2010 07:25
Posts: 2,604
Location: 
Our rostering is bad enough now. We all work 12hr shifts.This newly released roster has most me working 36hrs in 3 days then only 2 days off for about 4 weeks before getting 1 week with 3 days off and then one week with 4 days off.That would be all fine and dandy if I didn't have chronic pain from my work injury and wasn't forced to work days only (extremely busy always) for the last 18 months.We agreed to 12hr shifts in 1996 so that we could have more than two days in a row off.But because one particular person did the roster he ignored requests and seemed to single out certain people to give the worst rosters to. We are allowed three request per roster and I only ever make one request every couple of rosters.This person totally ignored what we had put into the draft planner.Mad
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 17 02 2010 04:41 
nurseuncut
Joined: 16 02 2010 07:25
Posts: 2,604
Location: 
I can never understand the concept of late/early shifts. I have worked in other professions that require staff to work shift work but nursing is the only one that requires staff to do late/early shifts. I feel it is an OH &S issue not to mention a patient safety issue. Lets face it most people are not firing on all cylinders when they are fatigued and add giving people medications on top...a risky mix. Foxylass I feel for you with your current rostering,mine "sucks" as well. I think we should reflect on that age old question .. " Why cant we get nurses? " How about asking a nurse, I am sure they would get an answer !
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 17 02 2010 04:41 
nurseuncut
Joined: 16 02 2010 07:25
Posts: 2,604
Location: 
We have a brilliant rostering system,a very clever EEN does our roster and everyone gets exactly what they want,I kid you not.Of course we are not in a metropolitan area and there are less of us.Come to the country city folk,there is life outside Sydney,of course you will not get a full time position,our area health service does not believe in that,but lots of casual work to be had.
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 17 02 2010 04:41 
nurseuncut
Joined: 16 02 2010 07:25
Posts: 2,604
Location: 
That's sound good.It only proved that nurses don't need people in high position to make rostering works..it's just need a touch of a nurse with a Heart! Someone who understand and not being boastful of what she can do to make our lives so much better. Hope the "virus of good will" will spread. happy new year to all the dedicated nurses out there!
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 17 02 2010 04:41 
nurseuncut
Joined: 16 02 2010 07:25
Posts: 2,604
Location: 
The rostering in our public hospital is, in my opinion quite good. We run by the request roster system........the 'request' rosters come out and we put down ideally what we would like to work. Often we will fill out a shift pattern for the whole roster with specific requests marked in red. Full timers have 6 requests per roster and part timers have 4. These requests can be used for a particular shift on a particular day or days off requested on a particular day. We all have a basic ground rule that while all attempts will be made to honour the requests, we will need to expect some changes to the pattern of shifts we put down to provide for shift coverage and for skill mix and that we are all expected to take our share of all shifts. We work 8 hour mornings and evenings and 10 hr nights. The majority of the staff are perm part time as a lot of us are working mothers. We used to have one of the RN's designated to do the rosters while an EN did the EN's roster, but at the moment the NUM is doing the rosters. We have found this system works quite well for us as we are able to provide the necessary flexibility with some predictability for staff and their families while maintaining the rostering needs and skill mix on the ward. The only dilemma I have come across is when with the Christmas roster as a lot of people try to get Christmas off! This calls for a bit of negotiation and some times managerial intervention if people won't budge. The other problem encountered at times is when we are very short staffed (as we are now) and there is no casual staff and the AHS is not hiring. This has been stretching foster flexibility as far as it will go!

My husband is a train driver and has his rosters done centrally. His rosters are not always fair and we do not have the predictability that we do with mine. I sincerely hope that the future of our nursing rosters do not go this way.
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 04 05 2010 13:07 
Rob
Joined: 04 05 2010 13:42
Posts: 1
Location: 
HNEAHS continues to suggest that this rostering change is about ensuring quality of care for patients by maintaining adequate skill mix across all shifts. So the HNEAHS says that means nurses must sacrific some of their freedoms (request rostering, or self rostering) as the means of guarenteeing patient safety. This is a con. The only reason nurses are being asked to make this sacrific is to save the HNEAHS from employing enough nurses(and treating them well enough to stay) to meet patient needs. Its the old story; nursing wages are taking up too much of the budget, so how can HNEAHS get more bangs for bucks from the same number of nurses. HNEAHS is the most pernicious and cunning employer in NSW. The only employer I know of to take 50% of saving from employees using salary sacrificing (a questionably unconstitutional practice which may in fact be a tax by an institution other than the Commonwealth, and therefore illegal or at least coercive). Our union is fighting for us on this one. Support your union, go to meetings, speak out and demand more action. Otherwise HNEAHS will go on treating nurses like cattle.
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 19 05 2010 11:52 
IronMaiden
Joined: 12 05 2010 13:48
Posts: 37
Location: 
Rob, the problem is that there are nurses who will be so stupid as to believe they must make the sacrifices to guarantee patient safety. The martyr is alive and well. Also, other AHSs take 50% from salary packaging. This is one of the things the new log of claims is addressing.
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 17 06 2011 02:46 
TI
Joined: 03 06 2011 01:56
Posts: 5
Location: 
HI OUT THERE Just wait until you are on workcover, rosters are nothing, nearly all my requests for shifts so that I could attend Drs appointments were ignored, as the roster person stated "I can give you any shift I like"and after about 3 months she changed it to "as the needs of the department" too late damage done
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 24 06 2011 09:03 
Guest

Guest
I am tiring of being the person doing unsociable shifts because I no longer have children at home. "I have childcare needs' seem to win the day of rostering here in rural Australia. "Locals" have preference and I am being flogged. I am getting out. Watch out for the move to change of shifts in the unit like 1630-0100 (another nightshift) or 1030-1900 when we finish out nowhere to go out for dinner and cannot even get to the gym! We used to have a casual pool-where have the nurses gone? Too tired or are they the Mum's who used to fit children around their shifts? Many older nurses are working agency-get in, get the money no responsibilty- as they travel around Australia.
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 24 06 2011 12:24 
Guest

Guest
Whilst no doubt rostering 2-4wks ahead for 35+ nurses on our ward is a logistical challenge, we also have the ability to mark in red our roster preferences which albiet are not guarenteed. However, duplicate copies of the roster are made, so that the roster i express a shift on becomes 'misplaced' so 'there is no record of that'. Only one swap was needed in a six month period to attend a dinner, luckily someone else agreed to swap. Study leave was used to attend mandatory in service training, leave without pay requests to gain a reprieve from 6 day in a row amidst other erratic shifts was denied, even leave without pay to attend conferences and external study on campus days was also denied. We claim to be about ongoing professional development and flexible rostering/lots of choice in nursing, what choice is there really?
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 27 06 2011 08:45 
Guest

Guest
The only decent thing HNEAHS has done for me is to give me a decent roster as per balanced roster guidelines. I finally have my share of weekends off and am no longer doing everybody elses night duty. Dont misunderstand, I hate Hunter health too!
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 29 06 2011 12:08 
Guest

Guest
HNE health conned everyone with the so called BALANCE ROSTER in 2010-2011 treating nurses like morons. Management were trained with proper responses which was a load of garbage, anyone with a neuron functioning could see it wasnt going to work and 12 months later its proved to be inflexible and with a huge budget blowout. Do nurses let HNE health slap the other cheek as well????. How many highly skilled nurses had to resign or leave due to the Balance roster, did HNE health care???. Lets face it, Hne health has one agenda and looking after there staff is not on the list
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 Subject :Re:New Rostering System: Consultations Continue... 01 07 2011 06:56 
Guest

Guest
Our N.U.M. got a secretary. This is supposed to free her up so that she can be involved in supervising staff etc. Has not happened. Money would have been better spent employing more nurses. Our casuals have had their shifts cut to six hours. More A.I.N.s are appearing on our ward. New roster supposed to improve staff/skill mix.....I think not.
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