Skip to content

WEBCASTS

Taking a Fresh Look at how our Staffing Philosophies Impact our Competitiveness

A Case Study with Sumner Regional Medical Center

register March 23, 2007 at 12:00 AM PST
Deb Strickland, RN, MBA, CNAA-BC
VP, Clinical Services

Fred Levoy, BS, LNHA
Regulatory Compliance and Project Management

Deb Strickland has launched the BidShift program at 2 separate hospitals, most recently Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin, TN. Deb has shared her insights and “ah-ha” moments as she has worked with BidShift to enhance her staffing effectiveness program.


 Staffing Goals

Decrease use/spending of Contract Labor, Improve utilization of existing staff, Improve employee satisfaction, Data driven staffing decisions, use of incentives if desired, improve turnover, improve quality of staffing

Before Picture

PRN Staff dictated when they wanted to work, reactive staffing, ineffective communication methods

What Wasn't Working

Scheduling staff in reverse orders, managers were spending too much time on scheduling, Staff wanted more control of their schedule, no cohesiveness

The "After" Picture

F/T, P/T scheduled first, PRN’s are offered the remaining shifts, FT/PT can pick up extra shifts, all staff can see needs of entire Health System and think more broadly

Consistancy and Predictibility

Consistency in the way scheduling is done, Proactive approach to scheduling, Staff is driving their own schedule, Staff satisfaction

Results After Four Months

Reduction in over time, eliminated 10 travelers, “Christmas 365 days per year, downturn in utilization of PRN staff, Working between facilities, vacancy rate has decreased from 7% to 2%, Annual turnover has decreased from 25% to 12%, increase of employee satisfaction and surrounding communication

Added Value

Used by departments other than nursing, staff maintains their own contact information, -more up to date than HR, broadened associate’s view of their competencies, encouraging some to seek additional experience

Data is Power

Data driven staffing that aligns with your goals, clear visibility into staffing needs across health system, track PRN requirements, visibility of self directed floating

Key Success Factors

Think broadly, program creates other opportunities, must have a united front, management team consistency is key, “re-recruit” the nurse managers and make sure they understand the vision

What's Next??

Tracking ROI after 6 months, evolving incentive approach, interface with scheduling, always watching data to adjust strategy, continue to “re-recruit” nurse managers