Computer Generated Staffing Issues?

[RunawayN]

Hello everybody

I need some help and advice. Currently, at my hospital, we are implementing a new staffing tool where our acuity and our nursing ours is based on the way we chart on our EHR. Basically, with every click and with every document we create, it adds to our acuity and the amount of nursing hours required for each patient.

The idea makes sense! However, I've noticed several flaws in this type of staffing which I have been bringing up with management. Some of the major issues I have written below:

First, there are issues with the EHR. In order to properly chart acuity and the nursing hours, a selection in the EHR has to be clicked or highlighted. And unfortunately, the EHR program is not user friendly. Nurses spend a significant amount of time searching for the box to click and as a result, nurses will click the option to write in their documentation which is not counted in acuity or nursing hours.

Also, to make matters more complicated, all charting must be done at a certain time for it to be counted into the acuity and nursing hours.

Second, this staffing system does not account for empty rooms. I know this part is tricky because there is no guarantee that room will be filled out by the end of the shift. Recently, we have been sending nurses home because the nursing hours generated by this system says that we do not require the nurse to take care of the patients on the floor. However, what happens is that nurses start with the max number of patients and of course, we are rushed with admits.

Third and more importantly. I have not found any articles or studies that shows that this system is the most effective for variables such as patient satisfaction, patient safety, staff morale, staff turnaround, and even financial outcome.

Of course, I've found other studies for other types of acuity and staffing systems but nothing specifically related to computer generated staffing.

Now, I'm at a roadblock. My staff and peers are getting burned out. And I can't find a way for management to reconsider this system or at least adjust it where it may be effective for staff and patients.

I've been researching this staffing system on my free time but management is not listening. For me, if they are able to provide me with some studies that shows that this is the best way to do staffing, then I would more then likely back down but management has just been offering me theory and repeating this theory.

Any advice, thoughts, suggestions?

[RNewbie]

I guess once you find information to support another recommendation or have all the staff voice their concern something can be done to change it. Sometimes hospitals spend money on new software and system upgrades and don't want to admit when things don't go right. We are required to complete acuity paperwork each shift and it is never even used for staffing.

[RunawayN]

I guess once you find information to support another recommendation or have all the staff voice their concern something can be done to change it. Sometimes hospitals spend money on new software and system upgrades and don't want to admit when things don't go right. We are required to complete acuity paperwork each shift and it is never even used for staffing.

Oh yes, with all the research I'm doing, I'm hoping to find something that I can present that would make a compelling counter. If anything, doing an independent survey to all the nurses employees would be beneficial but that might put a target on my back.

Actually, the EHR is not new to the hospital. We have been using it for years. The information has already been there but all of a sudden, they decided this is the most effective way to staff.

I didn't emphasize this in my previous post but one of the big issues with this type of staffing is that we are sending nurses home when they shouldn't be sent home. It's resulting in understaffing in all areas of the hospital. One of the biggest issue I see is open beds and an understaffed nursing team. If the hospital needs beds to filled and we are understaffed, we will be unable to assign those beds because nurses will already be at their max limit for patients.

This can put the hospital at a standstill backing up the Emergency room or worst, what if it's a critical patient that needs to go to the ICU but they can't because nurses are already at their limit for patients.