Centralized Nurse Scheduling Software Optimizes Resources

December 22, 2021

Despite nursing shortages, a centralized staff scheduling solution can optimize your current resources, automate certain scheduling tasks, and streamline workflows to maximize efficiency in units experiencing gaps in coverage.

Nursing shortages pose unique challenges for healthcare facilities. Keeping overtime costs down, reducing agency needs, and preventing gaps in shift coverage while still providing quality care can be a tall order. If you’re looking for ways to simplify your scheduling process, nurse scheduling software can be an effective tool for dramatically reducing the time your schedulers spend creating staff schedules.

Easy Implementation Process

Schedule360 provides a hands-on implementation process, designed to get you set up with a scheduling software solution configured specifically to meet the scheduling demands you face. We assign a dedicated Schedule360 representative to work closely with you to understand your unique scheduling needs, provide expert consultation, and coordinate setup with our IT team, training department, and account administration. Since our software is configured to your facility and scheduling processes, implementing the new system is efficient and seamless. We realize that the timing for starting a new project in the middle of a pandemic may not seem ideal. The reality, however, is that adopting an efficient schedule management process to ensure your critical shifts are covered is a key component to providing high quality care to your patients in need. Schedule360 provides all the tools necessary to accomplish this for you.

Self-Scheduling Opportunities

Our scheduling software includes rules-based self-scheduling opportunities. After the release of shifts for the upcoming schedule and immediate booking of set schedule shifts, the remaining open shifts are available for self-scheduling by qualified staff. Flexible scheduling practices always ensure maximum shift coverage, both proactively, for future scheduling periods, and reactively, for the current scheduling period. Management still defines rules and guidelines based on the unique processes of your unit or facility. By automating your scheduling process, this leaves more time to utilize your resources elsewhere, but also boosts employee morale as they’re able to take a more active role with their scheduling by having some control.

Reduced Agency Dependence

Our nurse scheduling software is the most advanced, clinically focused nursing shortage solution with plenty of innovative features designed to optimize employee scheduling, while still ensuring you have adequate staff coverage by providing admins with a complete view of the schedule in real-time.

Float pool staff are often underutilized due to missed opportunities through manual scheduling methods. By leveraging automated scheduling software to optimize your current staff, you can stay on top of float pool scheduling while better utilizing your own healthcare staff resources. Manage float pools easily by creating a float schedule versus having to fill in last-minute scheduling needs by agency staff who charge a premium price for their services. An effective float pool ensures there are enough staff to address patient needs, prevents overstaffing, and keeps your agency dependency in check.

By providing schedulers with the ability to view the entire schedule in an instant, including OT thresholds and deficits in target work hours, you can effortlessly optimize your current nursing staff, and reduce agency dependence.

Hot Shift Coverage

We understand that filing last minute shifts is stressful, but you can manage hot shifts and urgent coverage needs with ease through our nursing scheduling software. You’ll be able to quickly relay any critical shift needs with your staff within set parameters, such as 12, 24, or 48 hours in advance, via text or email. You can even set your own parameters if needed.

With a robust messaging platform, staff are always able to communicate with each other and get the real-time information they need to do their job safely, which includes keeping every shift balanced and covered.

Credential Tracking

Ensure safe staffing levels are always met by tracking and storing licensure and credentials in convenient, easy to access employee profiles. Admin can set guidelines to prevent staff from filling shifts they aren’t qualified to pick up. Skills requiring recertification are tracked from expiration date and the system can be set up to automatically alert employees 60 days prior to expiration to avoid lapse in credentials and licensure.

Shift Swaps

Using our rules-based self-scheduling feature, allowable shift swaps are made possible with matching credentials only. Staff can pick up extra shifts, request time-off, swap shifts, and more, all within the rules and guidelines set forth by administration. You can boost staff morale by giving them the power and freedom to manage their own shift swaps, while still ensuring shifts are optimized with the proper skill set to provide high quality patient care.

Proactive Scheduling

Schedule360’s nursing scheduling software includes integrated reports in real-time. This allows one-click management of employee compliance to work targets and enables rapid schedule management. With the right data organization and variable reporting options, you can forecast staffing needs more accurately and efficiently.

Schedule Transparency

Our nursing scheduling software provides complete schedule transparency by giving schedulers the ability to view the schedule in real-time. This makes it easy to fill gaps in coverage with under-utilized staff, like PRN employees, where they’re needed most. Plus, as a premiere, cloud-based scheduling program, we provide all employees with 24/7 access to their schedules from any device with internet access. Schedule transparency reduces instances of missed shifts, as staff have easy access to their schedule and are instantly alerted of any changes to their schedule.

Streamlining your scheduling process will free up your schedulers and administrators during high volume times and allow you to allocate resources and staff more efficiently. A simplified labor staffing solution is within your reach, and the implementation of a robust, web-based scheduling software like Schedule360 can be the easiest, most beneficial thing you can do, even now, when your workflows seem overwhelming, and you can’t imagine adding one more thing to your to-do list.

Improve job satisfaction, retention rates of qualified nursing staff, recruit talented nurses, reduce burnout, keep overtime in check, and give your staff the tools they need to provide high-quality patient care by implementing the right staff scheduling solution. We know Scheduling™, and Schedule360’s award winning software can make a positive change in the way you manage your workforce. Contact us today for a configured demo.