Empowering Nurses Through Self-Scheduling Can Reduce Burnout
May 28, 2019
Use nurse self-scheduling software to reduce nurse burnout on your nursing unit and increase satisfaction.
Long hours in an often-stressful environment can take its toll on nurses. Nurse burnout is real. It can affect the physical and emotional well-being of even the most skilled professional.
As a result, facilities that employ nurses can often experience a high rate of turnover as nurses look for other opportunities in order to lighten their load. However, there are steps employers can take to help their overworked nursing staff. The key is improved staffing levels and a smarter schedule. These can be achieved with nurse-scheduling software. Utilizing self-scheduling at your facility can empower your nurses and reduce burnout.
Self-Scheduling Allows Your Nurses to Oversee Their Schedules
Having satisfaction in the way their schedule is made can be an instant pick-me-up, both mentally and physically for nurses. Old-school spreadsheets make it nearly impossible for nurses to have input of when they will work. But computerized nurse scheduling software makes self-scheduling possible. This gives nurses power over their schedules and adds to job satisfaction.
Self-scheduling can also reduce overtime by alerting scheduling managers when a nurse is approaching hour thresholds. Overtime is a major contributor to nurse burnout, but an administrator doing scheduling is not always aware when employees are at overtime thresholds. Self-scheduling software creates alerts and provides transparency to the schedule, so everyone is always on the same page.
Time Off
Self-scheduling software designed with nurses in mind gives stressed out employees the comfort of a better balance between work and home life. A good program provides nurses the power to not schedule themselves on days they need off versus requesting the time off. Nurses can be confident that they will not be at work when they need to be off. A good scheduling system allows them to keep their professional and home lives separate and avoid dwelling on work issues while at home. Doing this enables nurses to more easily relax when off the clock.
Nurse self-scheduling software also allows nurses to trade shifts. Having the power to request or trade shifts eases worry and fatigue allowing the nurses to take time off without affecting the number of hours worked. The requested schedule change can be approved by an administrator and then modifications are made in real-time so all team members can see who will be on a shift.
Schedules Posted Early
Self-scheduling programs allow schedulers to create shifts more efficiently and finalize them faster. The farther out a schedule is made, the more easily nurses can schedule shifts as well as home responsibilities around work duties.
Posting schedules earlier alleviates stress for both Management and Nurses along with easing the process for schedule management. A transparent schedule posted in advance requires fewer shift swaps because management and nurses will know their respective schedules weeks or months in advance. Additional time gives nurses who are starting to feel the fatigue of long shifts the ability to give up a shift to lighten their load. Meanwhile, nurses who are looking for additional hours can pick up those shifts.
Mobile Access
A web-based self-scheduling system means nurses have access to their schedules any time. Schedules can be checked remotely, 24/7 from any device with internet access. This easily removes an unneeded stressor from nurses’ lives. It means no more calling in to see if they are working or receiving calls from the facility because they didn’t show up for a shift.
The best self-scheduling software will allow you to configure scheduling rules for your team so they get exactly what they need to create a schedule that promotes balance and reduces burnout. Consider a nursing scheduling software like Schedule360 that is flexible and easy-to-use, so your scheduling process will be streamlined while your nurses are happier because they get the flexibility they need.
Contact Schedule360 today for a demo and see for yourself how self-scheduling can work for your unit.
