Staffing and scheduling is a tiresome process for most organizations. Nothing causes more arguments among staff nurses on a unit than the schedule. Filling theschedule and ensuring each shift is staffed appropriately and safely is a task that causes many new nurse managers to wonder what they have gotten themselves into.

Although nurse managers on every unit have to decide on the scheduling criteria that work best for them, one issue remains constant: There will always be holes in the schedule, and it’s their job to fill them.