Creating the perfect shift schedules to keep healthcare workers happy without negatively impacting the hospital is no easy feat. This is because scheduling shifts requires various planning, reviews, and consideration, making it challenging. If there is one thing healthcare workers appreciate, it is a consistent shift schedule with room for flexibility.
Creating a shift schedule that is transparent, predictable, and communicative for health workers is essential as it makes them more productive and reduces the high probability of resignations.
This article highlights essential tips to create the best shift schedules for healthcare workers.
Six Essential Tips Needed to Create the Best Shift Schedules
Here are a few tips for creating the best shift schedules for health workers:
1) Use Scheduling Software
When it comes to shift scheduling, scheduling software has reigned supreme due to its ability to streamline the process and ensure accuracy. As opposed to using Excel worksheets and other manual shift scheduling creation methods, using scheduling software to create shift schedules is seamless.
Scheduling software effectively automates scheduling, manages shit swaps, factors in availability, monitors overtime, aids adequate and fast communication to all healthcare workers, and more. Also, workers will be able to remotely access their schedules and make shift swaps/changes and time-off requests in real time.
2) Gather Employee Input
Communicate with your workers either via polls, questionnaires, or group meetings to get their input on the schedules. This makes your workers feel like you have their best interest at heart and will also help you know the best ways to create the best shift schedule suitable for your healthcare workers.
3) Avoid last-minute scheduling
This is an essential factor to consider. It is recommended that the shift schedule be made available to workers two weeks before its final implementation to avoid disruptions. Many create last-minute schedules, which has proven to negatively impact everyone – the workers, patients, and the hospital. As a result, it is advised for last-minute physician scheduling to be avoided at all costs.
Also, have contingency plans in place for unexpected absences or last-minute scheduling.
4) Ensure that the schedule is always accessible to everyone
This is where using scheduling software for emergency medicine scheduling shines. Workers can view their schedules in real-time, eliminating the need to constantly call to check their shift schedules. One of the best ways to create the best shift schedule plan and ensure it is always accessible is to distribute it via a cloud-based app. 5) Review Schedules
Ensure a periodic review of shift schedules to determine efficiency and effectiveness, especially in high-activity periods and in line with schedule preferences. Regularly assessing and reviewing shift schedules should be carried out at least once a month.
6) Manage Absenteeism
A critical part of effective shift scheduling involves managing absenteeism. Workers taking time off can complicate the daily shift schedule set in place, especially for the hospital's operation. Although these circumstances are unpredictable, you must have plans put in place to mitigate the problem should it arise.
Conclusion
Creating the best shift schedule for health workers is an attainable fit. The introduction of shift scheduling software has been able to aid in tackling the complexities that accompany shift scheduling for health workers, which results in an overall improved working environment.
|