Introduction
For the most part, everyone has a more or less planned life. However, in some instances, unpredictable situations can happen to every human being. Taking into account the extreme environment where nurses work, there might be factors that influence their work-life balance severely (Leineweber et al., 2016). In order to adjust to the current events or unpredictable conditions, nurses can use a flexible schedule.
Apart from that, it is necessary to state that the working environment in hospital is very stressful and the traditional schedule might interrupt the typical rhythm of life. It is strongly recommended for the employees to have a rest and to have enough time to recover from an exhausting shift.
Solution
A flexible schedule can be used as a reliable solution to balance work-life situation for nurses. One of the first significant elements, in this case, is that a flexible schedule is based on the personal choice of the nurse (Abid & Barech, 2017). The traditional schedule does not support an idea of freedom; it heavily relies on control and submission on the nurse’s part. It forces the professional to be present at a workplace; flexible schedules provide a certain degree of freedom to choose working hours (Zhang et al., 2018). Hence, it is easier to adjust life outside of the work for nurses around different hours. The choice also increases participation and dedication of nurses to the professional activity, as they feel more responsible.
Unlike regular schedules, flexible ones can be moved, changed, transferred or exchanged with other nurses. Hence, there is always an option to manage the working hours in a way that is convenient both for the patients and for the nurses (Mullen, 2015). Nonetheless, it does not decrease professionalism and responsibility of nurses; it serves as a method to adapt to unpredictable issues in life.
Taking into account that nursing is a part of a health care system that evolves continuously, many nurses use their free time to advance their skills and knowledge. Typically, nurses have a tendency to undergo additional courses, participate in health care events, and use their time to learn something new on their own. Therefore, flexible schedule creates a pleasant environment for nurses to improve their professional background. Many can visit evening or morning seminars or lectures to continue their education thanks to the flexible schedule (Abid & Barech, 2017). With the traditional schedule, nurses have to sacrifice their personal life in order to meet the strict working hours at work.
Benefits
Apart from apparent personal satisfaction among nurses, a flexible schedule provides more freedom for nurses that they can use in their way. It prevents isolation and dissatisfaction with the job. The overall quality of medical services increases as well due to the flexible schedule, as nurses can plan and rest better (Shagvaliyeva & Yazdanifard, 2014). Apart from that, flexible schedules help to reduce the gaps between different shifts of nurses, which helps to maintain and monitor the state of the patients better. Furthermore, nurses feel more involved in the hospital’s activity by choosing their working hours, and it positively influences teamwork and cooperation between different shifts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, work-life balance is vital for the successful professional activity of nurses. Taking into account extreme environment and stressful conditions that nurses have to encounter every day, they have to have enough time outside the work in order to recover, rest, and do what they think they need. With the flexible schedule, nurses become more productive, satisfied with the job, and show increase in quality of services they provide. This beneficial type of management not only helps nurses in their work-life balance but also improves treatment that the patients receive. It is a great modern tool to incorporate in a hospital concerned about its employees.
References
Abid, S., & Barech, D. K. (2017).The impact of flexible working hours on the employees performance. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 5(7), 450-467.
Leineweber, C., Chungkham, H. S., Lindqvist, R., Westerlund, H., Runesdotter, S., Smeds Alenius, L., & Tishelman, C. (2016). Nurses’ practice environment and satisfaction with schedule flexibility is related to intention to leave due to dissatisfaction: A multi-country, multilevel study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 58, 47-58.
Mullen, K. (2015). Barriers to work–life balance for hospital nurses. Workplace Health & Safety, 63(3), 96-99.
Shagvaliyeva, S., & Yazdanifard, R. (2014). Impact of flexible working hours on work-life balance. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 4(1), 20-23.
Zhang, X., Tai, D., Pforsich, H., & Lin, V.W. (2018). United States registered nurse workforce report card and shortage forecast: A revisit. American Journal of Medical Quality, 33(3), 229-236.