A new study from NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing reveals that flexible, transparent and equitable scheduling significantly impacts nurse job satisfaction and retention, suggesting innovative solutions for managing shifts.
Scheduling practices are crucial for the job satisfaction and retention of nurses, emphasizing the need for flexibility, transparency, equity and autonomy, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. The findings, published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research, underscore the substantial influence that scheduling has on nurses’ professional and personal well-being.
“Nurses are innovators by nature, and scheduling is one less-considered area where they can innovate, which may help to increase satisfaction and retention,” lead author Amy Witkoski Stimpfel, an assistant professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, said in a news release.
Nurses in hospital settings frequently endure 12-hour shifts to provide continuous patient care, making effective scheduling vital. Shift work significantly contributes to occupational stress and dissatisfaction, exacerbating burnout and turnover risks — pressures that were markedly intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic as frontline workers faced unprecedented demands.
To delve deeper into nurses’ perceptions of their jobs and scheduling satisfaction, the researchers embarked on a qualitative study, interviewing a diverse group of 16 staff nurses and nurse managers.
The comprehensive interviews identified a unanimous sentiment: “Scheduling is everything.” This theme accentuates the profound impact that scheduling has on nurses’ mental and physical health, job satisfaction and their decision to remain in their roles.
Nurses reported higher satisfaction when scheduling processes included their input on shifts, respected personal preferences and maintained flexibility tailored to specific unit needs rather than rigid, organization-wide policies. Equitable and transparent scheduling emerged as essential components to a conducive work environment.
The challenges of poor scheduling practices can ripple through nurses’ professional and personal lives, fostering conflict at home, career dissatisfaction and health issues. The participants acknowledged the inherent tension between accommodating staff schedules and fulfilling patient care needs, particularly when staff shortages strain the system.
“When nurses’ schedules don’t meet their needs or preferences, this dissatisfaction can lead to turnover, which can then lead to greater dissatisfaction and intent to leave among the nurses still on the unit who are left with less desirable schedules,” added Witkoski Stimpfel. “Collaborating with nurses to find schedules that work for them can help to interrupt this cycle.”
Practical solutions provided by nurses in the study included involving them more in the scheduling process, allowing for innovative and flexible work schedules (such as four 10-hour shifts instead of five 8-hour shifts), and considering broader staff preferences. Also noted was the importance of permitting planned time off for essential health and self-care activities.
The study also touts technology’s potential to enhance scheduling practices. Advanced computer systems or AI-assisted scheduling programs could tailor shifts to staff preferences while reducing the administrative burden on nurse managers.
“To date, much of the research on the use of AI in scheduling has been focused on patient scheduling, but there is potential to leverage technology for staff scheduling as well,” added Witkoski Stimpfel.
Co-authors of the study include Kathryn Leep-Lazar and Maile Mercer from NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and Kathleen DeMarco from NYU Langone Health.