Hello, My name is Pain In The Ass.

Schedulers control my life, so I was glad when my ER’s new scheduler sent each of us an e-mail asking about our overall schedule preferences. I was all too eager to tell her exactly what works and what doesn’t work for me… So I answered her with a lengthy description, which I’d normally hold back for fear of seeming like a pain-in-the-ass, but Hey! -- She asked for it!

I chose to include it in my blog because it really sheds some light on the chaos that defines our family schedule.

Hi Michelle. Looking forward to working with you.

Thank you for asking about our scheduling preferences, because getting a schedule that works with my family has such a positive effect on our quality of life. I'm thrilled to tell you all about what I prefer. I'll start out by answering your fourth question ("What are your scheduling likes and dislikes"). Do you have kids? If so, you may understand a lot of this.

My ideal shifts are the 7a-5p shifts. I LOVE those. I especially love week day 7a-5p shifts. Generally, the more I get of those, the happier I am.

I have two baby boys -- 24 months and 8 months, and a husband who works full time 8-5 and no live-in nanny and no family in the immediate area (my parents are three hours away, so they at least can come in a pinch), so on a daily basis it is up to my husband and I to provide child care. The boys go to day care M-F 7-6, so the more I can work when they are in daycare, the better. It's very hard on my husband and typically a challenge to find childcare assistance when I work nights and weekends. I understand it's part of the job, but that is why I strongly favor 7a-5p shifts.

For similar reasons, when I have to work 9p-7a I prefer them to be anything other than Friday or Saturday, because there is no sleep to be had in my house on Saturday or Sunday with the two babies at home. Any other shift on Fri or Sat is preferred over 9-7.

Except for those Fri and Sat 9-7 shifts which I can never recover from because I can't really sleep, on Sun-Thurs I don't think nights are that bad because they allow me to be home for family time at night. On Sun-Thurs if I can't have 7-5 I'd prefer 9-7 (confused yet?), because then I can be home for dinner, putting kids to bed, etc. The worst shifts on weekdays for me are the 12-9, 2-12, 5-1 because I miss family time at home.

Obviously, like everyone, I don't like weekends. I'd like at least one weekend a month where I'm off the WHOLE weekend. (Lately I've been asking for specific weekends to ensure this, like I have for March.)

Those are my utopian preferences. I know reality and fairness interferes with what you are able to do about them, but I appreciate you at least asking.

Here's my answers to your other questions.
1) How many shifts do you prefer to be scheduled in a row?
I'm flexible here. By the fourth shift I get to be really tired, so three is probably enough. But, honestly, I'm not as concerned about how many shifts in a row as I am with getting the "right shifts" (see above.)
2) How many night shifts in a row?
Two seems to be just right for me, but again, I'm flexible. I'm more concerned with getting nights that aren't Fri or Sat.
3) How many shifts do you prefer to work each month?
130. Maybe throw in an extra shift when it's a 31 day month to make 140.
4) What are your scheduling likes and dislikes?
See above!
5) Anything else that I should know about you that would affect how you are scheduled?
My "boys" (Husband Dan, 2 year old Cole, 8 month old Graham) are the most important thing in the world to me and 99% of my scheduling requests revolve around them. Sometimes Dan has to go out of town for his work (He's a V.P. at Suntrust bank), and so sometimes I ask off for that.

Thanks again for asking those questions and allowing me to voice my preferences, Michelle. Just so you know, we are having a minor logistical crisis in the Simons household, because Dan's work just mandated that he go to Atlanta for 2 or 3 days every week for the next 8 weeks! This is not typical and is NOT going to extend beyond 8 weeks (if it does... either he or I will be looking for a new job, because you can imagine the logistical nightmare.) I don't know if or how this will affect my schedule requests. We are looking into finding someway to get childcare the evenings he's gone. The only reason I'm telling you now is that I may have a few more schedule requests for March. I'll let you know soon if there are.

Thanks again.

Hopefully she’ll be kind.