It’s the end of summer and kids are heading back to school. Parents are shuttling back and forth between extracurricular activities, and vacations are coming to an end.
But cold and flu season is just around the corner. All of your urgent care locations are busy, and you’ve asked your staff to rotate between the four locations. Unfortunately, your staff scheduling solution is a mix of spreadsheets, text threads, and hallway chats.
Turns out, you’re costing your business time and money. Instead of focusing on quality care, you’re wasting hours figuring out how to adjust the schedule when staff has last-minute changes. Keep reading for three signs that your staff scheduling solution is holding your clinic back. Do any of these sound familiar?
1. It’s not mobile
In 2010, Dan Latham founded Pulse Medical Staffing, a premier medical staffing agency that provides much-needed temporary supplemental staff to all area healthcare services.
While Dan — and his staff — are always on the go, there was one big thing holding them back. A notebook.
Dan tracked everything in that notebook. That notebook contained a list of current employees (which was constantly changing), where they were going, when they were going there, and all the shift changes that occurred every four hours.
“It was definitely cumbersome,” says Dan. “I had to remember to take that notebook with me, even into a movie or to dinner, because I always needed access to that information.”
Dan’s notebook, while technically mobile, had limitations. Because it wasn’t digital, making changes was time consuming. And on top of that, he had to do double work to notify staff of...anything and everything.
That’s why Dan looked for an automated solution to standardize their operations. When I decided to move beyond my notebook, I looked for software to simplify scheduling,” says Dan. “Our automated tool makes it easy for me to schedule staff. “I’ve literally done it in the car on my phone. Now, I can get a text message from any one of my client facilities and they can ask for 80 shifts. I can quickly load those into Deputy on my mobile platform, even when I’m travelling.”
2. You can’t flex with demand
Your clinic likely has fluctuations in demand, especially during certain seasons. Your staff scheduling solution should be able to help you predict when (and where) you need staff so you always have the right coverage for the best patient care.
If you’re using clunky software or — gasp — a spreadsheet, you’re actually costing your business time and money. Instead of focusing on quality care, you’re wasting hours figuring out how to adjust the schedule when patient demand is surging.
Use a staff scheduling solution that lets you build schedules in minutes. Easily fill shifts based on employee availability, training, and cost. Look for a tool that lets you send schedules to your team via desktop or mobile.
3. Your team is stressed
Healthcare is 24/7. Appointments pop up or get unexpectedly cancelled, safety protocols change, and insurance policies can be confusing.
Healthcare staff are prone to burning out. Trying to accommodate all of your patients, addressing ailments, and negotiating with insurance. It takes a toll. And if you want to keep your staff engaged, you need to address their well-being. And it starts with their schedule.
Luckily, there are many tools and tips to help you ensure the mental health of your staff. Start a conversation, create a culture of mindfulness, and remember that good patient care begins with good staff care.
Don’t hold back
Demanding hours, physical labor, and proximity to sickness means that healthcare workers are often at risk of burning out. But in spite of their challenging environments, healthcare workers are dedicated to their jobs.
To keep them engaged — and your patients happy — you need the right foundations to grow your business. Learn more tips when you download The Practice Manager’s Guide to Increasing Efficiency Across Multiple Locations.
