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HealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsDeliver custom or industry designed product training directly to patient and resident care environments to reinforce proper use.
View All ProductsTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsHealthStream's EMS Program offers a comprehensive, CAPCE accredited EMS course library that meets National Registry annual recertification.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsExperience standardized and centralized healthcare credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsFinally, a comprehensive resource to support collecting, storing, and sharing credentialing data with ease.
View All ProductsHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
View All ProductsMitigate risk and elevate your quality of care. Improving both clinical and business outcomes starts with a smarter, more integrated approach to regulatory training, continuing education and quality management.
Learn MoreEmployee self-scheduling is a valuable tool for improving work-life balance and enhancing job satisfaction for nurses, and it frees up time for managers to do other tasks besides scheduling. Therefore, leadership should prioritize it as part of their workforce environment.
The task of coordinating nurses’ shifts can be daunting and difficult for management. There is a constant need to strike a balance between being flexible enough to meet the needs of nurses and ensuring adequate staff to provide quality patient care. One of the more challenging aspects of scheduling shifts is when nurses call out unexpectedly, and managers have to find a replacement at the last minute. When this happens repeatedly, it results in an understaffed and overburdened unit, which compromises the care of patients. This is one scenario of poor staffing conditions that nurses want to avoid because it can lead to burnout.
Nurses want the ability to manage both their professional responsibilities and personal commitments effectively. They value having predictability and flexibility with their schedule that self-scheduling can provide. The process of self-scheduling also gives an employee the autonomy to choose their schedule as well as allows more time for a manager to complete other tasks. Healthcare facilities have an opportunity to attract nurses by implementing good employment practices such as self-scheduling, thereby boosting engagement and retention.
Healthy work environments are essential for nurses to provide the best care to their patients, according to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Results from an October 2021 online survey that they conducted among more than 9,300 registered nurses showed that the health of nurse work environments has actually declined dramatically since a similar study they performed in 2018. They noted that appropriate staffing was the most concerning aspect of their findings on work environments.
The rating on their Critical Elements of a Healthy Work Environment scale item on staffing — “RN staffing ensures the effective match between patient needs and nurse competencies” — was the lowest rated of all items on the scale. Other items measured on the scale included communication and collaboration, meaningful recognition, effective decision-making, authentic leadership, and physical and psychological safety. Their data also revealed a dramatic decline from the 2018 study in how nurses rated the quality of care in their organizations and units.
“It is time for bold, intentional, and relentless efforts to create and sustain healthy work environments that foster excellence in patient care and optimal outcomes for patients, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team,” the AACN wrote in its conclusion statement. “The future of the health care system and the patients whose lives are at stake depend on it.”
Self-scheduling can make the hospital work environment more accommodating for nurses. To make it a success, the hospital’s leadership team should have a plan to implement and maintain its self-scheduling system. Research indicates that factors associated with the successful implementation of self-scheduling include participative management, staff education prior to implementation, a committee structure to review the schedule, and clear scheduling guidelines.
Certain key components will ensure buy-in and support from staff when self-scheduling programs are developed. For example, features of a self-scheduling system that are desirable by nurses include the ability to swap shifts, request time off, and opt-in for extra shifts.
When developing self-scheduling guidelines, there are also aspects of the work environment to consider: staffing needs and patient care requirements of the facility as well as the preferences and availability of the staff. Balancing these factors will ensure that the system is equitable, flexible, and meets the needs of everyone.
Self-scheduling is not a new concept to nursing, but it is an attractive model because of the healthcare industry’s urgent need to reduce clinician burnout, improve the mental well-being of its workers, and increase employee retention.
There are many benefits to self-scheduling for both the employee and the employer. Nurse leaders should consider these when providing bedside nurses with reasons to embrace self-scheduling:
Nurses perceive that self-scheduling allows them the ability to provide better patient care.
In addition, the planning and implementation of self-scheduling encourages consensus and collaboration among staff.
While self-scheduling offers many benefits, it also comes with potential challenges if the system is not effectively managed. For example, without proper communication and rules in place, there could be conflicts over preferred shifts or disparities in the distribution of weekend or holiday shifts. Guidelines must be implemented, followed, and maintained. Overzealous clinicians might overcommit to working too many shifts while others may not work enough shifts, leading to periods of understaffing and possible staff burnout.
These challenges can be mitigated by proactively establishing rules and effectively using technology. Digital platforms like ShiftWizard™ by HealthStream®, can provide real-time visibility of available shifts and fair distribution of work hours. The ShiftWizard software can also facilitate easy communication, preventing misunderstandings and conflicts. With customizable, rules-based scheduling options, 24/7 calendar access, and analytics and forecasting, this innovative scheduling solution is made to help simplify scheduling and improve patient care.
When done well, self-scheduling can be a strategic asset to a facility, improving employee satisfaction, increasing productivity, and reducing absenteeism.
CLICK HERE to learn how ShiftWizard by HealthStream, can help improve your nurses’ work environment by enhancing your scheduling capabilities.
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsHealthStream's EMS Program offers a comprehensive, CAPCE accredited EMS course library that meets National Registry annual recertification.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsLearn more about HealthStream's Provider Credentialing, privileging, & enrollment solutions.
View All CredentialingExperience standardized and centralized healthcare credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
View All Products