Transitioning to the Four-Day Workweek: A Nurse Practitioner's Viewpoint

Many healthcare providers work varying schedules, including night shift and on-call rotations in an inpatient setting. Yet most outpatient-based clinics and doctors’ offices are locked into a five-day workweek. A five-day workweek is outdated, especially with new workforce expectations. As many companies are transitioning to the four-day workweek, outpatient-based healthcare organizations should consider this as well. 

Let’s discuss the potential benefits of transitioning to a four-day workweek for patients, healthcare providers, and organizations.

The Four-Day Workweek

Opting for a four-day workweek does not necessarily reduce the required forty hours per week. Employees can opt for a compressed or reduced-hour schedule. Compressed schedule designs are four, 10-hour days, whereas reduced-hour schedules offer regular eight-hour days but with a day off. Healthcare organizations can decide to alternate employees’ off days to provide adequate clinic coverage or allow the employee to choose their preferred day off each week.

With the increasing demands in healthcare, it’s challenging to achieve a good work-life balance. Nurse practitioners and healthcare providers are no exception. Many non-healthcare organizations with four-day workweeks have noticed an increase in productivity and job satisfaction, amongst other benefits. Thus, transitioning to a four-day workweek can be beneficial for patients, healthcare providers, and organizations.

Benefits to Healthcare Providers & Organizations

• Better Work-Life Balance: Employees with a four-day workweek report abetter work-life balance. As previously mentioned, having a day off during the week leaves room for booking necessary appointments without disrupting your work. Providers can choose their preferred day off each week and coordinate with other clinic providers to ensure there is still adequate clinical coverage. It also reduces stress since you can spend more time with friends and family during your off days. In addition, there is less time spent commuting to work each week, which can lead to a better work-life balance.

• Avoid Burnout & Increase Job Satisfaction: Avoiding burnout and keeping autonomy increases job satisfaction amongst healthcare professionals. Therefore, increasing job satisfaction improves employee retention and happiness at work, benefiting organizations by reducing their attrition rates and the need for recruiting new providers. Employees who have high job satisfaction are also more likely to refer new potential employees and have a positive work culture.

• Boost Morale & Productivity: Organizations with four-day workweeks report increased workplace morale and worker productivity. An increase in productivity can lead to more time for charting, so healthcare providers don’t have to stay late. It also provides more time for chart reviews before visits, which improves the quality of patient care.

• Decreased Sick Time: Since employees have a day off during the week, they can be less inclined to use sick time for doctor’s appointments or personal days. In turn, this reduces overall sick time and unexpected callouts.

• More Time for Continuing Education: Healthcare providers may potentially have more time to complete required continuing education for licensing or attend conferences without having to take extra time off from work. If they are interested in attending or presenting in a lecture related to their specialty, they will have more free time to do so.

Benefits to Patients

• Increased Access to Care: For patients who work five-day work weeks, it’s difficult to allot time for personal tasks. Personal tasks can include doctors’ appointments, childcare, and after-school activities. If outpatient clinics offer 10-hour days and extend clinic operational hours, this creates more patient appointment time slots. This way patients will not have to interrupt their working hours for doctor’s appointments, and it increases access to care. Children are also less likely to miss school if there are doctors’ appointments available after school hours or on a Saturday morning.

• Improved Communication: Typically four-day workweeks offer an alternating schedule with days off and provider coverage. With alternating coverage, outpatient offices should be able to answer phone calls and patient questions in less than the standard 48-hour time window. This extended coverage improves patient and provider communication. 

• Enhanced Quality of Care: Four-day workweeks decrease burnout and thus can enhance patients’ quality of care. Decreased levels of burnout amongst healthcare providers can also potentially reduce medical errors. 

• A Broader Talent Pool: A recent survey revealed that 74% of office workers support a four-day workweek. If a healthcare employer offers a four-day workweek to their employees, this can attract a broader talent pool. Rural or underserved healthcare areas offering four-day work weeks to their providers may appeal to a wide talent pool, benefiting patients as it increases access to care and quality of care. It may also introduce new medical specialties that may not have been available prior in their area, in which case patients had to travel larger distances to receive proper care.

As there are many benefits, healthcare organizations should consider offering their employees the option of a four-day workweek. Since there is a projected healthcare worker shortage, it is advantageous for employers to offer a four-day workweek. It attracts and maintains employees by avoiding burnout and promoting a better work-life balance.