Scheduling & Diversity in Healthcare

Do you know how workforce scheduling is really done in your healthcare system? What about those last-minute shifts that need immediate coverage? Do you know if your scheduling practices are causing your healthcare team to feel the burden of picking up last-minute shifts or feeling like they never have the opportunity to pick up shifts to make more money?

Now is the perfect time to evaluate your workforce scheduling system, how your managers handle scheduling, and what processes can be improved to help retain your people and fill gaps in staffing more cost-effectively.

Part of prioritizing DEI is to supply tools that create fair and equitable practices for all, like workforce scheduling, so your people can focus on the overall mission of better care, a safe and positive work environment, and a thriving healthcare organization.

The Old Way of Scheduling
When it comes to scheduling practices in most healthcare organizations, sometimes it can be simply having the coverage needed.

But what does that actually look like for your organization? How do your nurse managers fill those last-minute shifts?

More often than not, your nurse managers and leaders call on a reliable, dependable, and consistent group of go-to nurses. But whether it’s because these nurses are the ones they have the best relationships with, they have said yes to picking up shifts the most consistently, or they are just the easiest ones to work with, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re the ones getting offered those last-minute shifts. Time and time again.

But that solution is a short-term fix with some serious long-term side effects.

The nurses who are called most often might feel irritated and burnout. And often, those last-minute shifts disrupt their work-life balance, whether they choose to pick them up or not.

Meanwhile, resentment and frustration can build among coworkers, as these practices can oftentimes be seen as favoritism or discrimination. Plus, more than likely, this process isn’t in line with your company’s mission.

If your facility is relying on non-healthcare-specific scheduling systems, it’s more than likely exacerbating the issue. It’s not uncommon for healthcare organizations to utilize non-healthcare-specific scheduling systems. However, these systems do not have the sophistication needed to handle the complex scheduling needs of the healthcare industry.

Benefits of Healthcare-Specific Scheduling
Regarding healthcare-specific scheduling solutions, our technology makes it easy to promote diversity, inclusivity, and fairness.

And because our solution is created by industry-leading professionals, there is knowledge and understanding about what diversity in healthcare means and how the larger ripple effect touches everyone, from leadership to patients.

ShiftWizard is created specifically for healthcare and has an easy-to-use messaging center designed to improve work-life balance and streamline communication. Additionally, because ShiftWizard was created by those actually working in the industry, it has been carefully designed to help leaders quickly and easily see who has the ideal credentials for each shift, how many hours each staff member has worked, and who is available to pick up last-minute shifts. Thus, creating a fair process and increasing diversity in scheduling.

And with mobile access and user-friendly apps, ShiftWizard gives team members access to their schedules any time, anywhere, and allows staff to easily swap or pick up shifts, all from their mobile devices.

ShiftWizard is made to create fairness, increase transparency, and elevate team morale.

• Fairness – ShiftWizard makes it simple and easy to create fairness among staff and their shifts. By streamlining communication, centralizing credentialing data, and compiling availability, our system can create schedules fairer for all staff members, even when it comes to those last-minute shifts.
• Transparency – ShiftWizard is designed to create next-level transparency for leadership and staff alike. From mobile access to seeing which co-workers are on any shift; self-scheduling to simple shift-swapping, this innovative technology is designed to create equal access and elevate scheduling for everyone.
• Elevated Moral – ShiftWizard is made to meet the healthcare industry's unique needs, including supporting those working so hard. In addition, the communication and messaging centers within this scheduling system make it easy to swap and pick up shifts, look for coverage, and stay connected – making scheduling and work easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

Healthcare Scheduling Designed for Diversity
When it comes to scheduling, supporting your staff is critical when it comes to maintaining diversity and inclusion.

That’s why ShiftWizard has been carefully designed to improve the scheduling process for you and your team. Whether your facility is a smaller healthcare setup, a single department, a team of nurses, or an entire hospital system, we’re ready to show you exactly how ShiftWizard can streamline scheduling, improve staff satisfaction, and increase diversity and fairness.