6 | 5 Staffing Strategies for Engaged Nurses Better Patient Outcomes
T
he increasing focus on patient satisfaction
is driving many healthcare leaders to re-
examine their workforce management
strategies and the resources they can deploy to
better support patient outcomes and satisfaction.
A recent webinar hosted by Molly Gamble, editor-
in-chief of Becker's Hospital Review, Krista Baty,
RN, CNO of Cedar Park (Texas) Regional Medical
Center, and Lisa LaBau, general manager of
workforce solutions company API Healthcare,
a GE Healthcare company, explored where
healthcare leaders currently stand with their
staffing practices.
"As more and more research comes to play out,
we're able to link staffing variables to patient
outcomes," said Ms. LaBau. "It's really becoming
more apparent that there needs to be a way to
operationalize staffing processes in ways that
use evidence and makes staffing easier every
day, and during every shift."
To gauge how workforce management and
patient experience are prioritized and which
staffing strategies are currently in use, Becker's
Hospital Review surveyed 95 healthcare leaders
in May and June
Highlighted below are five findings from the survey
that Ms. Gamble outlined during the webinar.
1 Roughly two-thirds (64 percent) of the
leaders surveyed said the patient experience
is influencing their workforce strategy
management. Additionally, 81 percent said
workforce management is a high priority at their
organization
2 Traditionally, patient satisfaction has not been
a major driver behind workforce strategies —
productivity and labor costs were the concerns
that influenced strategy most. The Becker's
survey, however, found patient satisfaction
was tied with reduced labor costs for second
place behind improved productivity among
factors that influence staffing today.
USING STAFFING EVIDENCE TO IMPROVE
THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE: 5 TAKEAWAYS
ABOUT WORKFORCE STRATEGY
Written by Shannon Barnet, Writer/Reporter
"Where is the disconnect?
Even though hospital leaders
identified certain tactics as
mostly likely to improve clinical
outcomes, reduce medical
errors and boost patient
satisfaction, many are not
leveraging data and software
to optimize those very tactics."
