The intensive care unit is one of the most complex and demanding units in a hospital. Patients require around-the-clock monitoring and care, which means that the unit must be properly staffed at all times.
Given the high demands of the intensive care unit, the job of the individual who schedules the staff for this unit can be quite overwhelming. Scheduling managers need to ensure that patients are receiving the care that they need, but they also need to make sure that the needs of their staff are being met. Because of the unpredictability and critical nature of this unit, it is not unusual for the staff of this unit to be overbooked and overworked.
Fortunately, there is a way that the job of a scheduling manager can be simplified and staff satisfaction can be improved while ensuring patients are receiving the proper care -- With intensive care scheduling software.
Why Intensive Care Scheduling is so Demanding
In order for an intensive care unit is run efficiently and that the critical needs of the patients are being met, a scheduling manager needs to ensure that there is ample staff available in the unit at all times. The individuals that staff this unit include:
- doctors
- surgeons
- nurses
- physical therapists
- respiratory therapists
- nurse practitioners
- physician assistants
- dieticians
- clinical specialists
- pharmacists
And more, given the long list of professionals that are needed to staff the intensive care unit, creating a schedule for these professionals and this unit can be quite overwhelming. Not only must patient needs be met, but the needs of the staff must also be met. Scheduling managers need to take into account:
- The hours of availability of the staff
- Vacation days
- Requests off
- On-call hours
- Practice hours
- AGME regulations
- Overtime hours
- And so much more.
To make the job of the scheduling manager of an intensive care unit even more demanding, this individual must stay on top of the schedule, making sure that all shifts are covered by monitoring shift swaps, getting coverage for sick days, holidays, and vacations, etc.
The scheduling complexity of the intensive care unit scheduling manager goes above and beyond the needs of standard physician scheduling and emergency medicine scheduling. In short, there isn’t room for any error when it comes to shift scheduling for an intensive care unit. The patients who are being treated in an intensive care unit require immediate, critical care and are in need of constant monitoring. These patients also need specialized care in order to systematically and effectively treat their health conditions. In other words, a properly staffed intensive care unit can be the difference between life and death for these patients.
Meeting the urgent needs of patients in an intensive care unit, along with satisfying the needs of the individuals who care for these patients make the job of the person who creates intensive care unit schedules exceptionally challenging. Fortunately, technology and emergency scheduling software can make this job easier.
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