The VN Futures Diversity, Inclusivity and Widening Participation (DIWP) working group are currently delivering a flexible working campaign, running throughout the month of August. In this blog, RVN and VN Futures Project Manager Jill Macdonald discusses her experiences of flexible working.

“At a previous practice I worked at (and I worked there for 12 years, so it might give you an idea of how much I liked the place) we had the option to work the hours that best suited us. I wanted to share what a difference this made to me, and that other practices could potentially offer this to their nursing team too.

“I had worked at the practice a while. The shift patterns were early (8.30 – 4.30), split (8.30-lunch, 4.30-7) and late (11-7). I lived a good 15 miles from the practice, so the split shift was always my ‘oh no!’ It basically meant that I was in Blackburn from first thing in the morning until night. OK, so Blackburn has its charms, but you don’t want to necessarily spend 3 hours wandering around it trying to kill time in the middle of the day!

“The shifts you work can have such an impact on the rest of your time. I had a busy life outside of work, yet sometimes it felt as though my life mainly consisted of work (and let’s face it, clinical practice can be all-consuming), with a tiny bit of time left over at the end of that. Know that feeling?

“I can’t remember how it came about, but there was discussion about whether people who favoured certain shifts could have their preferred option, how that would work around the clinical responsibilities required, and whether a new shift pattern could be developed. A suggestion that arose was the ‘full’ shift – a day where you were in practice for the full duration, but then took time out elsewhere. This one really floated my boat. I found that whenever I was on an early shift, I ended up there until gone six anyway. If I was on a split, I’d end up just working through the break. I was the head nurse, so there was always something to fill my time! So, if I could do a ‘full’ and then have the extra time back, that would make a real difference to me.

“As time went on, this developed into a pattern where I could work four full days and take off the fifth day. This was amazing! When I was at work, I worked. There was no ‘dead’ time, no working loads of extra hours (essentially for free), because my shift meant I was to work from 8.30 – 7 anyway. On my free day, I could do my housework and other chores, walk Mr Otto, do my photography, see friends, have a day out.

“Not everyone liked the ‘full’ shifts. I remember others recoiling in horror in fact. Some really liked the ‘split’ shift – it meant they could get things done during that period in the middle of the day – but they also lived in the area. It just goes to show that one size does not fit all. Everyone will prefer different ways of working and you need to find out what they are before you can meet those preferences.

“I’m sure that offering different shifts to different people gave the practice manager a bit of a headache (thank goodness I didn’t do the rota, or it would have been all over the place!) but if taking this trouble gives you staff that are working the hours they want to, are happier, more productive, less likely to leave – then that extra hassle has to be worth it.”