Scheduling for Dollars

Patti Feightner

Lined paper, pencil, white-out, Rolodex, spilled coffee, nursing pool agency business cards, phone, and lots of aspirin. What do these items have in common? They are quickly becoming the happily forgotten supplies of the staff scheduler in long-term care facilities.

It is amazing that managing the logistics of the largest expense in any facility is still handled with paper and pencil by many schedulers. Some department managers have been creative in using spreadsheets to manage the process of scheduling, but even that method falls short of being a comprehensive and easy way to ensure the right number of staff in the right place during every shift. The simple solution to this complex problem is the automated software products, which are now available, designed specifically for the unique requirements of long-term care. Scheduling automation will become the silver bullet for an industry already burdened by not enough time or tools to get the job done.

Using a scheduling software application for managing the schedule has several key advantages besides the obvious timesavings. One important feature is the memory capability. For example, if a team member wants every Friday off but is willing to work every Monday in exchange, the program will remember that as a business rule. If a team member always prefers a particular unit or shift, again, the program remembers. In addition to memory, the program also helps you track patterns that will help you manage your staff efficiently. You are now able to easily track absenteeism and tardiness while quickly getting a visual snapshot of attendance patterns. How about simple organization of information? Can't find the cell phone number for the team member you are trying to contact? The program maintains personal demographic information on each team member to allow you instant access to key information whenever you need it.

The power of automation has long been providing long-term care, and most industries, with tools to help manage labor costs. Automating the scheduling function will probably provide the largest and quickest return on investment of any tool currently available to long-term care facilities. In addition to the reduction in time and increased efficiencies in the scheduling process, automating the scheduling provides cost benefits that before may have been impossible to achieve. By automating this task, you can now actually set parameters for staffing based on the budget. For example, with a manual system, the problem of two nursing assistants calling in sick was usually solved by turning to the most likely replacement--someone already on who will pull a double or the person who will always say "yes" to overtime. By taking advantage of scheduling software, you can immediately see a list showing all nursing assistants who are not scheduled, how many days each has already been scheduled that pay period, and most importantly, who should be called first to avoid an overtime situation. Some programs even provide a dialing system that virtually picks up the phone and dials the number for you.

So, what are you waiting for? Using an automated tool to manage the schedule can reduce time spent on a daunting task and save bottom line costs. Facilities who have automated their scheduling have achieved up to 25 percent reduction in overtime costs alone. In some facilities where one FTE is allocated for creating a nursing schedule, using an automated scheduler could cut time in half. The person assigned this task would have time for other duties...maybe even patient care.

Patti Feightner is general manager for Achieve Healthcare Information Systems and oversees distribution of Schedule Optimizer^™, a staff-scheduling tool by Post Acute Technologies Corp. She can be reached at (800) 869-1322, ext. 9876