The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, and so is how we manage our workforce. Technology has significantly transformed how healthcare organizations manage their staff, from scheduling and communication to training and compliance. This blog post will explore how technology advances healthcare workforce management and how Celayix is leading the charge with its innovative scheduling software.
Specific Issues Within Healthcare Workforce Management That Technology Can Solve
As mentioned earlier, healthcare workforce management is complex and challenging. There is a great need to address multiple issues. In a recent LinkedIn post, Aisha Barry, Director of Healthcare Solutions at TimeClock Plus, identified some critical challenges healthcare organizations face when managing their workforce.
Regulations
Firstly, numerous compliance requirements need to be met in the heavily regulated healthcare industry eg. EVV. This can challenge healthcare organizations, particularly those with a large and diverse workforce. Technology can help healthcare organizations manage compliance requirements more effectively, ensuring that all staff are trained and certified.
Multiple Locations
Secondly, healthcare organizations often have to manage multiple locations and shifts, which can be challenging to schedule and drive manually. By using scheduling software like Celayix, healthcare organizations can automate their scheduling process, ensuring that the right staff are in the right place at the right time.
Communication
Thirdly, communication is critical in healthcare, particularly regarding patient care. Healthcare organizations must ensure that staff communicate effectively. They also need to ensure appropriate methods of sharing patient information. Technology can help healthcare organizations improve communication and collaboration among their staff. This will ensure that patient care is never compromised.
Workforce costs
Finally, healthcare organizations must manage their workforce costs effectively, particularly regarding overtime and other labour costs. Technology can help healthcare organizations manage labour costs more effectively by providing real-time visibility into staff schedules, attendance, and other critical data.
Scheduling Software: The Ideal Healthcare Workforce Management Technology
One of the biggest challenges in healthcare workforce management is scheduling. Healthcare organizations must have the right staff with the appropriate skills and qualifications to meet patient needs. Our scheduling software helps healthcare organizations automate their scheduling process, reducing the likelihood of errors and streamlining the entire scheduling process.
According to a study by The Advisory Board Company, nurse managers spend 2.5 hours per week on scheduling-related tasks. That’s over 120 hours per year! By using scheduling software like Celayix, healthcare organizations can free up their managers’ time, allowing them to focus on other critical tasks.
Last-Minute Scheduling Changes
Last-minute scheduling changes and staff call-offs are also significant issues in healthcare. According to a study by the American Nurses Association, unplanned absences cost healthcare organizations an estimated $17 million annually. Celayix’s scheduling software helps organizations manage last-minute scheduling changes by sending out alerts to staff via email or text. This ensures that shifts are filled promptly.
Communication and Accountability
Communication and accountability are essential in healthcare. In a high-stress environment like a hospital, staff must have clear lines of communication and accountability to ensure that patient care is never compromised. Celayix’s scheduling software allows healthcare organizations to communicate with their staff effectively and track their performance, providing transparency and accountability that was previously difficult to achieve.
Staff Qualifications
Finally, staff qualifications are essential in healthcare. Staff must have the qualifications and training to provide patients with the best possible care. Celayix’s scheduling software allows healthcare organizations to manage their staff’s qualifications, ensuring they are current with their training and certifications.
The Future of Work in Healthcare
Rapidly evolving digital technology is driving increased automation, affecting the proximity of where work is performed, and giving rise to new and open talent models. These changes significantly impact healthcare workforce management, and many healthcare organizations need help to keep up.
According to a recent study, while 69 percent of US healthcare providers consider the augmented workforce a vital trend, only 33 percent feel the same about robotics, cognitive computing, and artificial intelligence. However, all these areas are part of the same wave of change.
Organizations that need to integrate technology with talent management risk missing out on great leaps in efficiency and engagement. They may face a dispirited workforce with growing nursing shortages and high levels of burnout, a reduced ability to attract and retain highly skilled clinicians and non-clinicians, a reduction in the quality of care, and a loss of position as a patient’s provider of choice.
Despite the challenges, healthcare providers recognize the need for change. In a 2017 Deloitte survey, 100 percent of healthcare providers planned to significantly progress in adopting cognitive and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the next three to five years. However, only some have made significant progress in adopting these technologies. So what can you do?
Celayix – Leading the Charge in Healthcare Workforce Management
Celayix is a leading provider of scheduling software for the healthcare industry. Our software is designed to help healthcare organizations manage their workforce more effectively, addressing the abovementioned challenges.
One of the critical benefits of our software is its ability to integrate with existing systems. This means that healthcare organizations can continue using their existing HR and payroll systems while benefiting from the advanced scheduling features of Celayix’s software.
Another benefit of Celayix’s software is its real-time reporting capabilities. Healthcare organizations can quickly generate reports on staff performance, compliance, and other critical metrics, providing insight that was previously difficult to achieve.
Therefore, instead of asking, “How can we hire and retain more nurses to combat our labour shortage?” healthcare organizations should ask, “How can we augment nursing roles so that high-performing nurses wouldn’t want to work anywhere else?” By embracing technology, such as technology and new talent models, healthcare organizations can create a more engaged, efficient, and effective workforce that delivers the best possible care to patients.
