In This Issue
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Maryland-based Washington County Hospital says Stay Staffed web-based solutions are the most cost effective and efficient means to streamline staffing. In lieu of push pins and sticky notes, hospital administrators now communicate with staff through an online, interactive platform.
“Bidding features have proven to build employee retention through buy-in, and minimize the
actual expense of per diem staffing,” said Amy Farmer, RN, MBA, Staffing Manager for the
hospital. “The platform’s administrative Time Control Management feature significantly
reduces overtime payroll costs and enhances budget performance.”
Amy’s hospital utilizes SmartShift technology to more efficiently manage internal staff and reduce agency costs. The ISM Internet platform enables employees to self-schedule 24/7 and administrators to more effectively plan for census fluctuations. SmartShift also tracks documentation and analysis in real time format.
“The program allows me to be a forecaster. To know when I will need employees and to let employees pick up shifts instead of putting out fires last minute,”
–Amy Farmer
Employees at the hospital love viewing shift availability via home or cell phone Internet and can sign up for bonus shifts far in advance.
“It gives staff ownership when scheduling extra shifts and is an easy, non-invasive way to communicate,” said Amy. “We were at the point where we wanted to find a way to maximize internal resources while saving money.” |
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| Testimonials |
“Stay
Staffed has allowed us to place our schedules out as
far as 8-12 weeks and get holes filled even while we
are sleeping. It is awesome to post all of these
from home (on a Sunday with coffee and quiet all
around). It is great for the staff nurse who
might be looking to pick up some extra time, and to
be able to do this from home or from any computer at
work. It is personally a blast to sign in and see
that three nurses have picked up some of your
holes.”
C. K.,
Clinical Director
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“Since utilizing the Stay Staffed program, units are filling long range needs more efficiently. Since the majority of the work is done online and can be accessed 24 hours a day, the Clinical Directors and the Scheduler do not need to make as many phone calls; nor do they need to leave notes in employee mailboxes about open shifts. Also, the system has been working well for staff; they can see open shifts at any time without having to phone the hospital. Again, this just adds to the efficiency of the program.”
L.C. , Administrative Assistant
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 Also heralding great success for Stay Staffed are the Vendor Staffing Management (VSM) and new Stay Staffed Candidate Direct™ web-based solutions.
Vendor Staffing Management (VSM) optimizes the approach to staffing by screening candidates from one or more preferred vendors to fill both per diem and traveler positions—all in a seamless fashion via secure Internet connection. With both solutions, hospital clients are able to view candidate credentials on-line to ensure that they meet stringent hospital criteria and also receive expiration notification of licensure and/or certifications via email thus eliminating the time consuming and tedious task of manually auditing documentation records.
Stay Staffed Candidate™ Direct establishes relationships directly with per diem and
traveler candidates and can provide savings in excess of 25
percent over traditional agency models. The Internet
platform can include value added services such as candidate
credentialing, document expiration date notification,
payroll, insurance, billing, recruitment, housing and
benefits processing. |
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 Each month Stay Connected experts answer client questions and provide valuable tips for optimizing SmartShift technology. Stay Staffed best practice solutions help ease the transition to web-based scheduling and e-procurement, and are designed to assist hospital administrators and staff in program implementation and training.
| Q: |
What does it mean when a shift shows up as red on the SmartShift schedule? |
| A: |
This is a SmartShift program alert that notifies administrators and staff of shifts that need to be filled over the next 24 hours. Attaching incentives to these shifts will oftentimes get them filled more quickly. |
| Q: |
Can SmartShift attach incentives to ‘hard-to-fill’ shifts? |
| A: |
SmartShift supplies administrators with the ability to attach incentives to open shifts. The feature notifies the staff that an incentive is being offered, and can attach incentive dollars to payroll budgets for administrators. |
| Q: |
It seems as though the same shifts, week-after-week, need to be filled. Can SmartShift post these in advance so staff can plan ahead? |
| A: |
Yes, SmartShift has a Group Scheduling feature that allows multiple openings to be created at one time. The feature will then automatically post the openings to the Internet on the date they are programmed to appear. |
| Q: |
Does SmartShift notify staff of float requirements? |
| A: |
SmartShift provides administrators with the ability to specify float requirements when posting shifts. Nurses can also specify their preference to float when filling shifts. This feature enables staff to be mentally and physically prepared for a float that might otherwise be last minute, and can result in heightened productivity and worker satisfaction. |
| Q: |
Can SmartShift manage split shifts? |
| A: |
Absolutely. SmartShift provides a quick and easy feature to manage this work flow. Splitting shifts becomes seamless for staff and traceable for administrators. |
| Q: |
Does SmartShift manage overtime? |
| A: |
SmartShift incorporates a time management feature that is based on configurable work rules for a facility. SmartShift will automatically calculate time entered into the system based on these work rules such as when overtime has occurred or when meals are being missed. This popular feature helps administrators
to better control payroll dollars and trouble shoot scheduling problems in advance. |
| Q: |
How does SmartShift manage cancellations? |
| A: |
SmartShift provides an online record of the cancellation event and reasons surrounding cancellation. This information can be used to track reliability and identify problem staff in the future. Also, since cancellation rules are configurable by facility, you know your cancellation policies will continue to be enforced. |
Forum Brief
Workplace Incentives
It’s not surprising that survey after survey turns up compensation and pay as top benefactors in recruiting and retaining nurses. And although money and benefits tend to be important base satisfiers for employees, many facilities are finding that a well-communicated healthcare mission combined with positive and distinctive work environments can lead to increased loyalty and heightened nurse retention.
Nursing Management reports that the overall performance of a facility’s administrative staff can make an institution the employer of choice. Key variables identified for nurse managers include:
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Clearly defining an organization’s mission and task |
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Enabling accomplishment |
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Eliminating obstacles |
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Encouraging and coaching staff members |
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Nurturing a supportive team environment |
Hospitals with a policy of promoting from within have said that doing so has become one of their single most effective retention tools—above and beyond that of requisite high pay and perks, according to survey results published by the trade publication.
Despite the popularity of training and development as a featured recruiting tool, only 11 percent offered internal candidates promotional opportunities and only 22 percent of respondents reported career development programs in place.
Happy staffs make for high-quality healthcare and promote sound policy.
- From the experts at Stay Connected, have a happy healthy Holiday and New Year! |
Back to Top
 Stay Staffed is a leader in web-based workforce management solutions and your pathway to slashing payroll costs and optimizing manpower dollars. State-of-the-practice nurse staffing technology helps make your holiday a happy one, reducing stress, improving productivity, and streamlining communication. Stay Staffed clients agree, “It’s the best gift a hospital nurse staff could ask for.”
Have a safe and happy New Year…and Stay Connected!
Stay tuned to the Stay Connected January issue to see how Stay Staffed workforce management solutions deliver significant ROI, build recruitment, and improve nurse retention.
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Post Positions
• View Profiles
• Track Documentation
• Automate Compliance
• Manage Internal Registry |
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Provide On-line Bidding
• Approve Invoices Electronically
• View Reports & Dashboards
• Access Online Performance Evaluations
• Integrate with Currently Installed Systems |
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Upcoming conferences Stay Staffed
will be attending
| Conference |
City |
Dates |
| AONE American Organization of Nurse Executives |
Washington, DC |
April 13 - 15, 2007 |
| Nursing 2007 Symposium |
Orlando, FL |
April 19 -22, 2007 |
| FONE Florida Organization of Nurse Executives |
TBD |
June, 2007 |
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