 Western Maryland Health System Creates
“Weekends Only” Nursing Positions
To alleviate the ongoing problem of weekend staffing at its
two hospitals in Cumberland, Western Maryland Health System in Cumberland
created a new job category—the “Weekends Only” RN position. This
allows registered nurses to work two 12-hour shifts on Saturdays and Sundays.
The advantages for the health system include guaranteed
optimal weekend staffing and a reduction in weekend premium pay. Nancy Adams,
the system’s senior vice president/chief nurse executive, said, “We
have consistent staffing and it makes weekend staffing wonderful.”
Although the hourly rate of pay for these positions is considerably higher than
that of the regular staff, the savings in premium pay previously paid on
weekends substantially funds these positions. Further, the improvement in the
quality of care to patients based on optimal staffing, and the potential for
the regular staff to work fewer weekends contributes to greater satisfaction
among all nurses. In addition, many of the weekends only nurses elect to work
an extra shift during the week when the census is high at either hospital,
Adams said.
The nurses benefit from the new position because they now
have the opportunity to work two 12-hour shifts for almost the same pay as
nurses who work a standard, 40-hour work week. In addition, the “Weekends
Only” position has been an extremely useful tool in bringing new nurses
into the health system. Nurses from outside the health system, new graduate
nurses, as well as experienced nurses, have the opportunity to work fewer hours
for more pay, making these positions easy to fill, according to Adams.
Retaining nurses already working within the system has also
been more successful due to this new initiative. Many of these nurses have
young children and find the new position helpful because they now have the
option of working when the other parent is more likely to be home, eliminating
the need for babysitters.
Another aspect of “Weekends Only” positions that
appeals to nurses is that it creates the option of a Monday through Friday
position for tenured nurses, helping with unit scheduling. Presenting this new
option results in happier nurses, which in turn generates more satisfied
patients.
Since its inception two years ago, 20 “Weekends
Only” positions have been filled across the health system. Four of these
positions are unit-based and eight “floating” nurses are staffed at
each of the two campuses. Adams notes that they are considering expanding the
idea in the Critical Care Units, so that tenured nurses in those areas will
only have to work weekdays, instead of the typical rotating weekend schedule.
Contact:
Nancy D. Adams, RN, MBA
Senior Vice
President/Chief Nurse Executive
Western Maryland Health System
Phone:
301 723 4158
E-mail: nadams@wmhs.com (Back to the top)
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