Fixed shift pattern in nursing?

[Sgtsmiths]

Question for ward based nurses - in your Trust are you allowed to fix your shifts so you work the same each week? I would love to go in to inpatient work, but nurseries for DC can't be flexible - I need to have the same sessions each week (plus some family help). How do people with young children manage shift work when it's so varied? I've been told that they would find it too hard to accommodate a fixed weekly pattern (I'd like a LD tues, short thurs and any time at weekends) as it makes the off duty too complicated.

I got together with a couple of colleagues and we worked a couple of lines on the rota between us. We picked our days then when a shift fell on that day the nominated person picked it up.

We didn't narrow it down to specific shifts, but I found it worked OK with Dh doing the pick ups/drop offs when I couldn't. It did mean I only needed nursery 3 days a week.

That was part time, full time I just had a full time nursery place and again DH did nursery run (his job was fine with him leaving a little early or arriving late on his days) when necessary.

I have known colleagues do fixed patterns, but they tended to be senior staff which had a more fixed rota to start as there are fewer of them.

I work within the NHS as a 0.5 WTE band 7 in a specialist area: I have a local agreement (not a contract) that I work a LD on one specific day a week (Wednesday) then I make up the rest of the time at weekends. It's great and I'm hugely grateful to my manager for accommodating this. It's very much an agreement though as it's got to suit the service demand etc. I've worked there for years so I think loyalty has also got something to do with it. I love where I work and will probably never leave so I think my manager sees it as a form of staff retention.

I am part time (3 days) and work in the NHS, not a nurse but we have the same shift patters. Most of us oart timers have fixed days due to childcare. It is possible :-)