Nurse Self-Scheduling in Hospitals is a Major Win

March 31, 2020

Nurse self-scheduling has become more prominent in the healthcare industry and is seen as a solution to increasing employee satisfaction and staff retention.

Rather than leave all of the scheduling responsibilities to the scheduling manager, nurse scheduling software allows certain employees to choose the shifts they want to work, providing them a greater sense of balance between their work and personal life, increasing both employee morale and the quality of patient care. This is especially beneficial for hospital employees who often work long, irregular hours.

On the fence about implementing self-scheduling software in your nursing unit? The benefits are becoming clearer as more and more hospitals adopt this method of overseeing their nursing schedules.

Benefits of nurse scheduling software include:

Eliminate Holes in the Schedule

With nurse scheduling software you can eliminate holes in the schedule by making sure there is adequate coverage on every single shift. With rules-based self-scheduling, all remaining open shifts are available for self-scheduling by employees, giving them some flexibility to manage their own schedules while still ensuring safe staffing levels are occurring.

Reduced Need for Agency Nurses

Since gaps in coverage are easily filled with the implementation of nurse scheduling software, the need for expensive supplemental staff is greatly reduced.

Ability to Pick Up Extra Shifts

Empower your staff by giving them the ability to pick up extra shifts when needed simply by looking at the online schedule to see which shifts are available.

Reduced Overtime

Nurse scheduling software comes equipped with overtime alerts built into the system, allowing managers to quickly view which employees are close to overtime thresholds, and which employees still need additional hours. This also allows overtime hours to be distributed in a more fair and even process. You can also require that any overtime shifts have to be approved by setting guidelines that suit the needs of your unit.

Lower Rate of Nurse Burnout and Turnover

Nurse burnout is a common problem in the nursing industry as nurses work long hours in an often stressful environment. By improving staffing levels with smarter scheduling, overworked nurses get some much needed relief, reducing both nurse burnout and turnover.

Schedule Transparency

Nurse scheduling software provides nurses and administrators complete schedule transparency by giving them full access to their schedule anytime, anywhere. Schedules can be checked remotely from any mobile device with internet access, leading to less confusion over schedules, and fewer shift changes, as they have more time to plan around their schedules.

Improved Accountability

Everything is tracked with nurse scheduling software, leading to better communication as well as employee accountability.

Increase in Employee Satisfaction

Nurse scheduling software allows nurses more control over their schedule by being able to choose which shifts to pick up, giving them a greater sense of balance between their work and personal lives. This greatly improves staff morale, leading to a higher quality of patient care.

And the Winner Is…

The results are in! Schedule360’s nurse self-scheduling software in hospitals is a major win/win for everyone involved. We are confident our scheduling software can make a positive impact on your nursing unit, and we want to show you just how life-changing our scheduling solution can be for your staff. Contact us today for a customized demo of our award winning software. You may soon wonder how you ever scheduled without it!