I'll Think, You Work

Manager of nursing staff is a professional adminstrator who has never worked shift work. She prepares a work schedule for nurses, with one day shift, a day off, one night shift, etc. Staff complains that breaks are not grouped together, too many transitions between shifts, not at all an appropriate schedule. Manager feels threatened, hires external consultant to prepare a schedule for staffing using best practices, but without involving staff. Staff again complains about schedule and offer suggestions, compromises. Management says “this is how it is”. One seasoned staff member throws out new unsatisfactory schedule and prepares a new schedule that all staff are happy with, and that also meets manager’s stated requirements. Pervasive bitterness that management won’t listen. Staff member who revises the schedule so that it would work gets in trouble.