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Nurse Shift Schedule Maker
Build a nurse staffing schedule with editable 7am–7pm and 7pm–7am shifts. Add staff and roles, check each shift’s coverage, then print or export the roster.
Pick a rotation and Auto-fill to assign each person to a crew (A/B/C/D) on a real pattern — or click any cell to set it by hand (it cycles through your shift types, then Off, then blank). Day-off templates can mark weekends, Sundays, or US federal holidays off for the whole team in one step, and the week-copy tools help you roll a finished 7-day rota forward without re-clicking every cell.
| Staff | Shifts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RN — Taylor | 0 | |||||||
| RN — Morgan | 0 | |||||||
| LPN — Casey | 0 | |||||||
| CNA — Jamie | 0 | |||||||
| On duty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best fit
Best shift patterns for nurse teams
If you want a repeatable rotation instead of building each week from scratch, these are the closest pattern fits for nurse scheduling.
2-2-3
The 2-2-3 rotation — also written 2 2 3 or 2/2/3, and known as Pitman, Panama, or 3-2-2-3 — uses short work blocks, four crews, and a 14-day cycle.
DuPont
The DuPont schedule — also written Dupont — is a 28-day, four-crew rotation of 12-hour days and nights that ends every cycle with a full 7 days off.
7 On 7 Off
The 7 on 7 off rotation — written 7-on-7-off, 7/7, or week on week off — runs a full week on, then a full week off, often for fixed day and night crews on 12-hour shifts.
Which shift pattern should nurse teams choose?
Nursing teams usually choose between fairness in day/night rotation and the fatigue cost of longer stretches on shift.
| Pattern | Cycle | Shift length | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2-3 | 14 days | 12 hours | Best all-rounder for four-crew 24/7 teams that want frequent breaks and no more than three shifts in a row. |
| DuPont | 28 days | 12 hours | Best when a full week off every cycle is a major quality-of-life benefit worth a more complex rotation. |
| 7 On 7 Off | 14 days | 12 hours | Best when a fixed day or night crew wants long off blocks and can tolerate a heavy seven-shift run. |
Use the page-level maker above when you want to assign shifts by hand. Use one of the pattern generators when you want a rota that repeats cleanly and is easier to share, print, and explain to the team.
Plan nurse coverage by shift and role
This preset starts with two 12-hour blocks. Before assigning names, record the required roles for each shift, approved leave, and staff availability. A filled grid is not a staffing assessment: review qualifications, unit requirements, and handover coverage separately.
Fixed or rotating
A three-shift week totals 36 scheduled hours at 12 hours per shift. The 2-2-3 schedule instead assigns seven shifts in 14 days, or 84 hours per cycle. These are different staffing commitments. Choose the agreed work pattern before assigning individuals; the generator does not check contracts or staffing requirements.
Guard against fatigue and unfairness
Two things quietly break a nursing rota: too many nights landing on the same people, and long unbroken runs that leave staff exhausted by the last shift. After you auto-fill, scan each row for anyone stacking nights or working many days straight, and even it out. A schedule that is safe and fair keeps people on the ward longer than one that is merely full. For pure overnight cover, the night shift maker defaults to evening and night blocks.
Use a nursing rota as a coverage communication tool
Start with the unit’s own staffing and skill-mix requirements. A day or night block needs more than a total number of people: identify the roles, competencies, handover responsibilities, and escalation coverage required by your organisation. This maker can display a schedule, but local clinical policy, contracts, and applicable rules must determine the actual staffing decision.
Review a complete rotation rather than a single calendar week. Note approved leave, training, planned admissions or procedures, and any period that needs different cover. If a change is required, label it as an exception to the base pattern and keep a dated source copy so the team does not need to reconstruct the latest rota from separate messages.
Make the handover visible in the shift design. State the block times, the expected handover point, and where the incoming team finds open work. Before publishing, check that the qualified role mix is present on both day and night blocks and that the process for a last-minute absence is already known.
Keep going
Other makers & templates
Frequently asked questions
Does it support 12-hour shifts?
Yes — the nurse preset uses 7a–7p day and 7p–7a night blocks, and you can edit the times.
Can I use this for a three-day, 12-hour nursing schedule?
Yes. Assign three 12-hour shifts per person in the seven-day grid for 36 scheduled hours. Check the day and night coverage separately; auto-fill does not enforce a three-shift limit.
Does this tool calculate safe nurse staffing levels?
No. It is a manual roster editor. It does not assess patient acuity, required staffing ratios, qualifications, availability, or rest rules. Review those requirements through your unit’s staffing process.
Can I generate a Pitman nursing rotation?
Use the 2-2-3 pattern generator linked above for the exact 14-day cycle. Alternatively, select Pitman in this roster’s Rotation menu before pressing Auto-fill. The default Simple 5-on / 2-off option is a different schedule.