How to Manage Self-Scheduling for Your Nursing Staff
March 27, 2020
Let’s face it, times have changed. You can now order groceries from your phone and have them delivered right to your doorstep, so it only makes sense that the way we handle our scheduling would evolve as well.
In the days of manual scheduling, the weight of the world was on the Scheduler’s shoulders as they sifted through piles of documents and messy papers as they pieced together schedules for multiple units, only to have to redo the schedules multiple times whenever someone needed to make a slight modification. Not only has manual scheduling completely consumed the life of the scheduler, but it can also cause a rift as well as built up resentment between management and staff.
The goal of nurse scheduling software is to bridge this gap by creating a shared effort between management and staff. Also, by empowering nurses with self-scheduling, they become proactive participants in the scheduling process, leading to major improvements in both employee morale and patient care.
How can nurse scheduling software help you manage your nursing staff?
Provide Relief For Your Schedulers
Healthcare schedulers have a difficult and important job to do. Thanks to nurse scheduling software, they can breathe a sigh of relief as they embrace having the heavy workload off of their shoulders. Nurse scheduling software removes the time constraints that came with manual scheduling and allows managers the ability to focus on other more important tasks. Another benefit is a more fair and even distribution of scheduling responsibilities, giving managers the gift of not having to feel like they need to control every single aspect related to scheduling.
Set Rules and Guidelines
With rule-based self-scheduling software, nurses have the ability to pick up extra shifts, request time off, swap shifts, and more, all within the rules and guidelines that are set forth by management.
Save Time and Money
Nurse scheduling software will save you loads of time as it does all of the hard work for you, including optimizing time-off requests, sending schedule reminders, and keeping accurate records of everything, including payroll compiling and credential tracking. It can also save you money by reducing overtime spending, as well as the need for utilizing supplemental staffing agencies. Nurse scheduling software helps you fill in the holes in your schedule by optimizing your clinical staff.
Provide a Better Patient Experience
When nurses are happy and satisfied with their job, the level of patient care that they provide increases. Nurse scheduling software helps you achieve this goal by reducing nurse burnout, reducing overtime hours, improving staff morale, improving communication to reduce staffing shortages, optimization of shifts based on credentials, and more.
Increased Trust Between the Team
Nurse managers face several challenges when it comes to scheduling, such as trying to make everything fair and balanced. This is especially true when it comes to approving or disapproving overtime and time-off requests. Nurse scheduling software takes the pressure off of management’s shoulders by taking over a lot of those difficult tasks and decisions, which in turn, increases overall trust between the team.
More Efficient Use of Time
With manual scheduling methods, scheduling monopolizes a lot of time. With nurse scheduling software, managers and employers will be able to make better use of their time, as they can quickly send and receive messages, have 24/7 access to their schedules, pick up extra shifts or swap shifts with ease.
If you’re ready to save both time and money, as well as eliminate stress, you need Schedule360’s nurse scheduling software. We’d love to show you how it can work for your unit. Contact us today to schedule a customized demo of our amazing software. There is a better way to schedule your nursing staff. Let us show you how.
