Self-scheduling and staff incentives: meeting patient care needs in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Nursing staff and leadership in a resource-intensive NICU identified an innovative process for covering the unit's scheduling needs. Early concerns about the feasibility of achieving self-scheduling with a large staff were unwarranted. The use of a unit-based committee and the support of the nurse manager allowed us to develop a process that met the needs of the staff members and maintained the staffing standards of the unit. Contributing to the success of the self-scheduling is a mechanism for recognizing and rewarding staff members who adjust their work schedules to meet the needs of the unit. Satisfaction among staff members with self-scheduling is high, and new employees cite the opportunity for self-scheduling as a contributing factor in their decisions to work in the NICU.
Vetter
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Neonatal intensive care unit, Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY, USA.
Felice
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LD
Ingersoll
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GL
D004649:Employee Incentive Plans; D006801:Humans; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D009518:New York; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D015397:Program Evaluation; D000078329:Workforce