If you’re exhausted from the administrative side of staffing for a long term care facility, then you’re not alone. Between a shortage of caregivers, the complexity of administrative tasks, and a rise in adults needing care, it can be difficult to keep up. From managing staffer’s schedules and availability to making sure that all of your team member’s have up-to-date credentials, the work is never done. It can be difficult to stay organized with all of the day-to-day tasks without a well developed system in place. With Supplemental Staffing Technology, your skilled nursing facility can save time and money while lowering your workload and still providing quality care for your residents.
A Shortage in Qualified Staff
Not having enough staff to run your day-to-day operations seems to be an issue that comes up again and again in long term care, and especially today during a national staffing crisis. Scheduling gaps in care facilities can lead to a lot of problems such as resident safety risks and staff burnout.
Despite desperately needing caregivers, it can be difficult to find the time to find new employees. The hiring process, even for temporary employees, can be extremely time consuming. Aside from the time it takes to review possible employees, there are also many factors that go into selecting a qualified, available, and likable candidate. Availability, experience, and credentials are all things that you will need to take into account when bringing in new team members.
The fear of being understaffed is a real one, and one felt by facilities across the nation on a regular basis. No matter if your staffing problem is caused by a shortage of employees or scheduling complications, not having enough caregivers to meet your facility’s daily operations needs can be detrimental to everyone involved. The amount of items to juggle adds up quickly and causes a lot of problems for both you and the rest of your team.
Having to coordinate the schedules and availability of all your employees adds yet another layer of complexity to your job. Last-minute callouts, vacations, and coordination around each team member’s individual needs is ongoing. It is an essential part of the scheduling process to find a way to keep everything together and organized. When you’re short-staffed for the day, or week, who do you call? It’s important to have reliable flexible team members that you can call in at a moment’s notice. Utilizing an existing network of on-call, qualified, available caretakers is a great strategy. Scheduling changes can quickly turn into a jumble of text messages, phone calls, emails, and spreadsheets that can overwhelm even the most organized manager.
A Rise in Seniors Needing Care
Truthfully, a shortage in employees is not the only thing causing staffing problems in skilled nursing. There has also been a significant rise in adults who need care in recent years, and that’s only increasing in the years to come.
Staffing shortages can negatively impact patients in skilled nursing facilities. When there aren’t enough caregivers, existing ones tend to be overworked and worn thin. This impacts the patients or residents in their care because they are not able to receive the level of care they need and deserve. Gaps in scheduling, while inconvenient, can also be dangerous in extreme situations. In the case of an emergency, an already short-staffed workplace can leave patients at risk and lacking their necessary care.
Having a proactive solution to potential staffing shortages can easily reduce this problem. Using supplemental staffing software can help fill up empty shifts so that your team members, and residents, are never left without the help they need.
Complex Administrative Tasks
There are a lot of moving parts when managing a long-term care facility. Keeping track of employee schedules, credentials, invoices, patient information, and more is just one aspect of an increasingly complex operation. Even the most organized Director of Nursing (DON) or nurse manager can struggle when handling all of these important elements.
Having a flawed system with which you handle scheduling does not help anyone. Employees will be frustrated because their schedule is wrong, or you forgot to put in that vacation they requested off. You’ll be frustrated because you’re wasting time and energy at a computer crafting schedules. Your patients and residents, and their families, will be frustrated because there will be gaps in the schedule, and they won’t get the care that they need. In situations like this, no one wins.
Have you ever had an employee unable to work because their certifications or licensing expired and you didn’t realize it? Credentials are something that can make or break your healthcare facility. If not everyone meets compliance, you can be faced with a lot of problems. Avoid losing employees, even temporarily, or failing an audit by managing everyone’s credentials and licenses in one place.
Simplifying your administrative duties will simplify this task, and it’ll save time and money by reducing administrative overhead.
Supplemental Staffing Technology
The right supplemental staffing technology can be the ideal solution for filling up scheduling gaps and streamlining your workforce management. You just need it to do three things:
- Saves you hours of stress, searching, and phone calls: This technology eliminates the need for manual searching and time-consuming coordination. Instead of scrambling to find available caregivers, it connects you with existing agencies that have networks of qualified professionals ready to step in. This saves you valuable time and energy, allowing you to focus on providing the care your residents require.
- Keeps you organized and responsive: With this technology, you have a powerful tool to keep yourself organized and quickly solve scheduling problems at a moment's notice. Whether you choose to tap into an agency's pool of caregivers or create your own supplemental staff members, this technology provides a centralized platform for managing schedules, making adjustments, and ensuring smooth operations. No more juggling multiple spreadsheets or making endless phone calls—everything you need is conveniently accessible in one place.
- Offers an all-in-one, multifunctional software: To achieve success, having an all-in-one, multifunctional software is essential. This technology serves as the comprehensive solution that meets all your needs. Not only does it streamline scheduling and staffing, but it also enables you to keep track of documents and other important information. With everything centralized and easily accessible, you and your team can work efficiently and effectively, minimizing the learning curve associated with multiple programs.
When it comes to choosing the right supplemental staffing technology, it's crucial to assess your options and select a solution that aligns with your specific requirements. While there may be numerous choices available, not all are created equally. By opting for the right technology, you can benefit from its robust features and functionality, ensuring seamless coordination, improved organization, and enhanced care delivery.
Don't settle for fragmented systems or inefficient processes. Embrace the power of supplemental staffing technology and unlock the potential for optimized scheduling, enhanced productivity, and improved resident care.
“The workforce is changing, and the worker is more empowered now than they ever have been. They want control and they want flexibility and choice over their schedule.” - Todd Owens, CEO, Kevala
The Solution You Need
In a software solution, you need flexibility, automation, and efficient workforce management capabilities. The ability to collaborate with preferred staffing agencies and access a wide pool of qualified professionals is essential. It's crucial to have the option to create a customized pool of caregivers you've worked with before, simplifying the process of filling open shifts.
The software should provide a centralized location to view credentials and wage requirements, making it easier to select the most suitable caregiver for any given scenario. Automation features that streamline credential management, such as automated alerts for license and credential expiration, are a must. Additionally, the software should handle tasks like broadcasting open shifts, managing electronic timesheets and documentation, and efficiently scheduling both permanent and temporary employees.
By utilizing such a software solution, you can enhance efficiency, reduce administrative costs, and centralize notifications, communications, and files. Consider exploring a free demo to experience how this comprehensive software solution can support your organization.
Learn more about how Kevala can help you and your organization with a free, no-pressure demo today. Sign up here.
