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Learn MoreWith flu season fast approaching, it’s time to gain valuable insight into how you can leverage your team of nurses and optimize floating in your facility without hurting retention or employee satisfaction.
Research has found 44% of nurses were unhappy working in acute care hospitals that require them to float and work away from their typical assigned units, and with the healthcare staffing crisis and burnout in healthcare professionals continuing to grow, your organization needs a strategy that allows leaders and managers to float nurses in a way that meets patient demand and supports your valuable employees.
Below are seven different strategies to manage floating your nurses in your healthcare organization during one of the busiest times of the year.
Float Pools - Float pools involve creating a pool of internal staff who work within their unit of the hospital; designation and rules can vary from organization to organization, but typically this method involves staff being placed in the pool and then sent out where they’re most urgently needed. Float pools are especially valuable during peak demand periods, such as flu season, as they work to prevent staffing shortages and maintain your organization's high standard of patient care. While this option is the most traditional option, hospitals and healthcare systems are trying new methods to boost recruitment, retention, and patient care.
Additionally, when done correctly, float pools can save an organization at least 2-5% of their total nursing labor costs as it lessens the dependency on agency and travel use, which comes at a premium cost. A potential challenge that can arise within these pools is that they can easily become disjointed or too fragmented between departments. Without proper visibility across an organization, this process could be cumbersome and potentially hurt recruitment, staff satisfaction, and ultimately, patient outcomes.
Flex Pool —A flex pool is similar to a float pool, however, this option offers staff who are willing and able to float across departments. Typically, these employees float between departments or locations, assuming they have the proper qualifications, and receive a higher rate of compensation. These pools are especially beneficial for multi-facility or multi-location healthcare systems. This method can be especially helpful when you have your set staff, your planned census, and your average daily census, but patient volume inevitably increases.
In recent times, healthcare facilities have seen a trend in newer nurses preferring this option as it not only allows them more flexibility and control over their schedules but also opportunities to learn more skills and gain experience across numerous departments.
No matter which route works best for your hospital or healthcare system, it's critical that you manage floating employees in a way that leaves your staff feeling valued, heard, and supported.
Nurses are the largest segment of healthcare professionals, making up nearly of the entire workforce. However, with 18% of newly licensed registered nurses quitting within the first year and burnout exacerbating the staffing crisis, the current projection estimates a shortage of 200,000 — 400,000 nurses by 2025. It’s critical to meet patient demand without decreasing retention or staff satisfaction, which means having the right tools and resources for your specific team.
Navigating the complexities of managing floating employees during flu season can be daunting — your facility needs to meet patient demand, account for the unexpected changes this season brings, and accommodate your nursing team. At ShiftWizard, we understand these challenges, and we're here to support you while simplifying your scheduling processes.
Our innovative scheduling system empowers leaders and managers to effortlessly filter and allocate employees based on availability, preferences, and credentials. This works to optimize your existing workforce while also granting your employees newfound control and autonomy over their schedules, even during the high-demand flu season.
ShiftWizard provides next-level visibility across any organization, department, or unit, enabling you and your team to confidently tackle the challenges of flu season without compromising patient care or your staff's work-life balance. Discover how we can streamline your scheduling needs and enhance your facility's operational efficiency.
To learn more about how to effectively float your employees and gain a first-hand look at how to use ShiftWizard this flu season, check out our Floating Staff During Flu Season Webinar
HealthStream’s learning management system and healthcare training solutions support medical training initiatives and allow for 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 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 & ComplianceBe confident in your staff’s ability to reduce risk by providing compliance training that changes behavior.
View All ProductsDevelop next-level people for next-level care by prioritizing quality and safety improvements.
View All ProductsEstablish a culture of belonging with education supporting DEI, wellness, engagement, and leadership development.
View All ProductsUtilize patient access solutions and advanced reimbursement solutions to manage clinical denials and improve your organization’s reimbursement strategy.
View All ReimbursementExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ProductsOur competency development solutions personalize learning for clinicians to bridge the gap between theory and practice for your nurse residents.
View All ProductsEnhance maternal & child nursing care with solutions focused on improving the quality of care for mothers, infants, and children.
View All ProductsAddress staffing orientation challenges to easily achieve and maintain certification with our emergency and acute care training solutions.
View All ProductsAs a premier provider of healthcare education, we are committed to promoting safer, more successful surgical and sedation outcomes for each and every patient.
View All ProductsOur solutions are designed to cater to the needs of patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations dealing with illnesses or chronic conditions.
View All ProductsComprehensive, industry-leading provider onboarding and credentialing software that validates health outcomes and supports provider assessment.
View All CredentialingOur affordable CVO credentialing services establish patient safety by enabling primary source verification for your healthcare organization.
View All ProductsIntegrate with Epic to validate and add new providers directly to your provider master file.
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 workforce management is essential. We provide advanced scheduling solutions for organizations to solve issues such as nurse retention
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