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As the demand for registered nurses (RNs) continues to rise,1 healthcare organizations are exploring new ways to attract and retain top talent. One popular approach is flexible scheduling, which is designed to help support work-life balance and increase job satisfaction.
What Is Flexible Scheduling?
Flexible scheduling refers to a range of options that help give nurses more control over the hours they work. The International Council of Nurses defines flexible scheduling as “employer-employee work arrangements structured to accommodate organizational as well as individual needs.”2
“When it comes to nurse retention, nurses perceive that improvement in the work environment, including flexible work schedules, is more important than other benefits, such as salary and pension,” Sharifah Alsayed writes in “The Different Meanings of Flexible Shift Work Scheduling: An Integrative Literature Review” published in the Journal of Nursing & Healthcare.3
Here are some of the scheduling perks being offered in healthcare today:
Self-Scheduling
This allows nurses to select their own shifts or swap them with colleagues. Managers monitor the process to make sure staffing needs are met. In a 2023 survey of 500 nurses, 87% said they preferred self-scheduling.2
“Self-scheduling gives nurses the opportunity to more easily plan their lives outside of work, or incorporate their work into their lives,” say Sarah Gray, Michelle Ragusa Morris, and Danielle Bowie, authors of “The Power of Self-Scheduling: Frontline Nurses’ Insights and Perspectives to Achieve Staffing Flexibility,” published in Nurse Leader. “Additionally, ensuring nurses have sufficient time for scheduling and sufficient options available is important. Self-scheduling practices need to be accessible and staff-friendly.”2
Hybrid Nursing Schedules
When nursing jobs offer both on-site and remote work, healthcare organizations can create a blended schedule that offers a balance and pace many nurses prefer.
“The core principle behind this new model is the ‘60-40 split,’ where nurses typically spend 60% of their hours on-site and 40% working remotely,” explains an article in The RN Network. “This arrangement helps maintain consistent patient care quality while providing nurses with greater schedule control and reducing physical and emotional burnout. The model also incorporates ‘flex blocks,’ allowing nurses to adjust their schedules in response to patient census fluctuations or personal needs.”4
Flex Scheduling
“Nurses need flexibility related to their work schedules and flexibility is highly individualized for nurses,” Gray, Morris, and Bowie write.2 Healthcare organizations are responding by designing flex scheduling options that meet the needs of the nurses in their community.
Some hospitals, for example, have shortened the traditional 12-hour shifts to appeal to nurses who prefer working fewer hours each day to make room for other activities. Other healthcare organizations are offering more part-time opportunities. Elsewhere, savvy managers are asking nurses to help design the work schedule, which can help build engagement, job satisfaction, and retention.
Bring Your Talents to Nursing
Chamberlain University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program which can be completed in as few as 3 years and is designed to help you accelerate your journey to the fast-growing nursing profession.1
The HLC-accredited university tailors its learning options to fit your busy life. Choose hybrid learning at one of Chamberlain’s more than 20 campus locations, or the online option, which gives you the flexibility to study on your own schedule, wherever you have an internet connection.
The nursing program’s focus on critical thinking, clinical skills, and leadership gives you tools and knowledge you can apply in a variety of healthcare settings—from hospitals and clinics to community health centers and private practices.
When you choose Chamberlain’s BSN program, which is the largest in the United States, you’ll have the backing of a suite of student success services. These resources include professional and peer nurse tutors, dedicated and responsive faculty, and NCLEX® exam preparation.
You can learn more about the online BSN program or by calling 877.751.5783. Take that first step today and become a nurse by earning your BSN online in as few as three years with Chamberlain University.
Chamberlain University, an HLC-accredited institution, offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs in nursing and healthcare professions. With a growing network of campuses and robust online programs, Chamberlain continues to build on more than 130 years of excellence in preparing extraordinary healthcare professionals.
1Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
2Source: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1541461223003336
4Source: www.rnnet.org/post/the-new-hybrid-nursing-schedule-model-what-to-know-for-2025
By Chamberlain University
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