In health services organizations like skilled nursing facilities or long-term care communities, the daily flow of the entire organization is dictated by scheduling. The efficiency of scheduling impacts every person associated with the organization. For admins, scheduling is a complex puzzle; for staff, it’s the key that can make or break their work experience with the organization; and for residents, it’s the limiting factor that determines the quality of care that they will be receiving. Getting scheduling right provides a much greater ROI than just having staff members assigned to the right areas. A great scheduling platform can completely reenergize your entire organization, saving time for admins, increasing staff retention, and improving the care experience for residents.

Admins: Saving Time and Reducing Stress

For admins, the behind-the-scenes operators who keep facilities and communities running smoothly, scheduling can be a challenge. Complex staffing requirements, regulatory compliance, varied shift patterns, high staff turnover, and the need for flexible staffing solutions are all things they battle with each week when putting together the schedule.

Luckily, this time-consuming process can be dramatically reduced with the right automated scheduling software. Your scheduling software should be able to store and manage complex employee availability, including time off and shift preferences, in a single platform. By auto-generating schedules and employee placement based on their preferences, availability, and regulatory requirements, a good scheduling tool can not only save admin time but also help ensure that the right staff are in the right place at the right time. This workflow process should continue all the way through payday so staff can see how their schedules match to their pay accuracy.

An optimal scheduling system can transform admin challenges into manageable tasks where most of the heavy lifting is handled without human intervention, improving operational efficiency. For admins who are already juggling numerous responsibilities, this can reduce stress and give them time back in the day to focus on other areas of your facility.

Staff: Improving Retention and Creating a Better Work Experience

When it comes to your staff, scheduling can make or break their work experience. Providing consistent and fair schedules that adhere to each nurse’s individual needs allows them to better balance their personal and professional lives. Scheduling software that lets admins provide a more optimal scheduling experience for staff can enhance staff work-life balance, improving morale and reducing burnout. After all, in our recently released Caregiver Onboarding Experience Report, one of the largest differences between Leaders and Laggards in the health services industry was work-life balance perception. 90% of employees who rated their organization as a leader felt like their work-life balance was “very good” or “somewhat good” compared to 44% of employees at Laggards.

When it comes to scheduling, communication is half the battle. An optimal scheduling software allows messages and updates to be sent directly to nurses’ phones through a mobile employee self-service (ESS) app. This reduces conflicts and misunderstandings of schedules by not requiring staff to be constantly checking for schedule updates on their own.

In addition, providing staff with the ability to take back some control of the scheduling process helps to that end as well. Having the ability to view assigned shifts and claim open shifts via an easy-to-use mobile ESS app can empower employees to no longer require admin assistance to micromanage their schedules. These small features can have a large impact on employee satisfaction levels and retention as it becomes easier for staff to make their schedules work for them.

Residents: Elevating Quality of Care and Outcomes

Residents in your facility or community depend on the quality of care provided by your organization’s staff. Their quality of care and experience with your organization are directly influenced by how well your facility operates and, therefore, how effective your scheduling process is.

With optimal scheduling, residents don’t need to worry that their needs will not be able to be met due to care shortages; they’re able to rely on timely assistance and medical attention. Residents can also benefit from happier staff and are better able to create stronger social bonds and receive increased social attention from care providers who aren’t feeling stretched thin and needing to rush around because of an overloaded caseload. This helps promote increased mental and emotional well-being in your residents, making their time at your facility or community more enjoyable.

Building trust and rapport with those who are providing them care makes a real difference in the comfort and sense of security of those who stay at your facility or community. It helps them receive accommodations and personalized attention based on the individual struggles they deal with on a daily basis. As some of our communities’ most vulnerable, taking steps to ensure that they are protected and well cared for is critical when running a health care organization, and optimal scheduling software is a subtle yet necessary part of that.

Keeping It All Together: Tailored to Health Services All in One Platform

The hidden impact of scheduling is immense. The ripple effects of effective scheduling can be felt throughout your entire organization. It quietly influences the satisfaction and well-being of your admins, staff, and residents, often without anyone noticing it as the catalyst.

At Viventium, we believe that scheduling is a cornerstone of providing remarkable care to your clients. That’s why we decided to develop a scheduling product to add to our comprehensive HR suite. We know how critical scheduling is for health service organizations like yours, and as the leading HR provider in the health services industry, we know we can provide the best tool for you. We don’t just understand HR and scheduling – we understand you.

If you’re interested in discovering how Viventium Scheduling can make an impact on your organization’s admins, staff, and residents, click here to learn more.

Forever in it with you, Viventium.

This information is for educational purposes only, and not to provide specific legal advice. This may not reflect the most recent developments in the law and may not be applicable to a particular situation or jurisdiction.