A 4-Day Workweek for Nurse Leaders: Jennie Gilliland, MSN, RN, OCN, Shares Insights and Advice

Jennie Gilliland, MSN, RN, OCN, Clinical Director of Infusion Services at Fox Chase Cancer Center, joined Cancer Nursing Today at the 50th Annual Oncology Nursing Society Congress to discuss work-life balance for nurses.

Gilliland, who is the lead author of a recent publication in Nursing Economics titled “A 4-Day Workweek for Nurse Leaders: Unveiling the Lessons Learned,” shared insights from the study and her experiences.

The concept of the 4-day work week began with Fox Chase’s chief nursing officer and vice president of nursing and patient services, Anna Liza Rodriguez, who presented the idea to nursing leaders, Gilliland said, noting that they were “stunned” by the concept.

“That never even occurred to me—a 4-day work week as a nursing leader—I never even thought that was a possibility,” she said.

It was emphasized that the 4-day workweek was optional and that it was important for nursing leaders to remain accessible and available during the fifth day, which is typically used as a remote work day.

“The way most leaders do it is that they week-by-week plan what day they’re going to be working from home… There are many times when I am off on the day I do a 4-day work week, but you have to be available and on your email if something happens.”

With the implementation of the 4-day workweek, the study has shown that nursing leaders are “happier with their work-life balance,” showing a 45% increase in satisfaction, Gilliland said. In addition, the study showed a 6% increase in job satisfaction, a 52% improvement in feeling guilt for taking time off, and a 36% increase in confidence in the ability of units to run effectively in their absence.

“They trusted that their unit could run without them, which I thought was very interesting [because] at the beginning of the study, people felt like they had to be there all the time,” she said. “But I think being a good leader means that your team can function without you, and that you empower them to make the decisions, and that you trust them.”

Gilliland said that the 4-day workweek for nurse leaders has also had other benefits for staffing.

“The biggest takeaway for me was being able to recruit nurse leaders moving forward. I think today in this generation and time, Millennials, Gen Z, they want flexibility, and nursing at its core is a flexible job…. and going into leadership is a big commitment,” she explained. “Oftentimes, people shy away from it because of having to be at work 5 days a week. They don’t want to do that. To recruit good talent, it’s important to offer flexibility.”

For example, Gilliland hired two managers while offering the 4-day workweek; both said it was “the deciding factor for them.” She also highlighted her own personal experience with it.

“If I have that day where I know I can be home, get some appointments done… I don’t feel like I have to take off time for work or come in late. I have that day where I can get that stuff done for my family, which is huge for me,” Gilliland said. “And I know that to do that, I have to be very efficient in my day-to-day work.”

The 4-day workweek also shows benefits for nursing leaders who are pursuing additional education.

“That’s been great for the leaders getting their PhD or DNP,” Gilliland said. “It gives them that day to decompress and do their schoolwork; otherwise, they’re packing it into early mornings or late nights.”

She also explained what she would say to those interested in trying or implementing something similar, but hesitant.

“The advice I would give is encouraging those who feel that they can’t do the 4-day workweek because they struggle with their internal feelings of visibility is to try it out and see that it works,” Gilliland said. “The staff environment might improve because they know that you trust them.”