Mystery aide on the schedule

I remember from my previous two nursing homes that sometimes an aide was scheduled at a strange time, and everybody wondered why. Many times the aides chatted about it when they were doing my care. They'd try to figure out if the scheduler made a mistake, and if so, why. Sometimes the aide's name written in was an aide who'd quit, but who was supposed to be working "as needed". Sometimes when aides left they  offered to work occasionally. I think some of them did that to feel better about leaving and to offer something to their previous employer. But, occasionally the aide had no intention of ever working at that facility again..

I also wondered if at times the scheduler just "penciled in" an aide's name to fill an un-fillable schedule. I wondered how they can feel good about the dishonesty doing that. However, I do realize that there hard times when there aren't enough aides available to fill the open spots. The scheduler also might've thought that one, or more, of the aides would pick up a day, or say over to get the hours.

Even if the scheduler does everything properly, aides call off sick, and sometimes just don't show up. I lived at one facility where the scheduler would just have a chat with aides who didn't show, instead of firing them and hiring another aide who might show up.

Today the aides were scrambling because they were short one. There are a lot of rehab residents on this unit. They really do need two aides on each of the halls, and I even think they could use an aide who floats between both halls. I understand why management doesn't want an aide to float. The aide who floats is difficult to keep track of. And if the flow likes to disappear, or go outside to smoke often, she/she can do that easier when acting as a float.

I saw the irritation in the aides when they realized there was an obvious scheduling error. I think the aides realized that an aide who'd quit had been penciled in with the hope it would work out.

I have to say today things worked out, but it took much longer than usual.