How an Online Scheduler Will Improve the Scheduling Process for Your Nurses

 


Online scheduler systems are gaining in popularity at hospitals, nursing homes, and medical facilities across the country. Technology is fluid-constantly changing to accommodate the demands of business and healthcare, streamlining common practices such as billing, payroll, appointment-setting, and even shift schedules, so that productivity flows smoothly. But can an online scheduler really improve the process for your nursing staff?

Ask any nurse administrator the most difficult task of his or her job and you’ll be met with a resounding chorus of “shift schedules!”. The apparent shortage of nurses, combined with the increase in the need for patient care, especially in rehab centers and skilled nursing homes, creates a serious concern for administration in the area of scheduling shifts for appropriate coverage.

Scheduling Staff Takes A Lot of Time

Not only is accommodating staff schedules a drain on your administrative people but the man-hours eaten up by scheduling could be better utilized elsewhere. Nurse managers and administrators are continually being called upon to revise staff schedules due to PTO, sick days and too-few nurses as census numbers increase.

Enter technology. Using an online scheduler helps to solve many of the issues surrounding shift coverage. With the use of an online scheduler you can practically eliminate the chaos that ensues when mistakes are made. With the click of a mouse you can find out virtually all of your staff issues ahead of time.

The Many Benefits of an Online Scheduler

The benefits to your organization are countless, and your online scheduler can be adapted to the unique set of circumstances which surround the needs of your medical facility. The self-scheduling option of the tool allows nursing staff to self-schedule which results in better time management and fewer shift swaps, which can lead to coverage problems. Some typical benefits to hospitals and care facilities include:
Minimizing the Use of Temporary or Agency Staff: You are almost guaranteed more thorough coverage when you use the online scheduler. This cuts down on your need for using agency nurses who may need to be brought up to speed, thus costing your staff more time.

Optimizing Staff Resources: Your staff provide the coverage. It’s simple and it allows nursing staff the freedom to plan their shifts around other obligations.

Boosts Staff Retention: One of the top reasons nurses claim for burnout is over scheduling. Being encouraged to work additional shifts in order to provide patient care coverage is a huge catalyst for job burnout and nursing staff turnover in medical facilities throughout the country. Your staff will experience higher job satisfaction when given the autonomy to create their own schedules. The flexibility involved in self-scheduling leads to higher satisfaction on behalf of your staff as well.

Provides Greater Control Over Staffing Costs: You won’t ever need to cancel shifts or be concerned with overtime when you know the availability of your nursing staff and their scheduling needs, at the touch of a button. Calling in additional nursing staff as needed is a much easier process with an online scheduler.

More Than Just a Scheduling Tool

The use of an online scheduler doesn’t just solve the issue of open shift coverage. By using this ultra-efficient tool hospital and medical facility administrators and nurse managers can manage such exhausting tasks as covering PTO, tracking certification and licensure details, regulation compliance and even recruit staff to cover open shifts. By incorporating the use of an online scheduler a manager or administrator can cut the time they normally spend creating schedules by up to 50%.

Ultimately this type of online scheduling will ensure patient care coverage, keep your nursing staff in the loop, prevent scheduling errors, and save your organization in administrative time and money. Your medical facility or nursing home will see return on investment immediately. Saves time, saves money, improves morale and patient care-what more could you want?

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