Staffing

Staffing

process of determining and providing acceptable number and mix of nursing personnel to produce desired level of care that would meet the patient's demand

Staffing Needs

Factors to consider:

1. Source of nursing pool

2. Number of students enrolled in local nursing schools

3. Length of employment of newly hired staff

4. Peak resignation of staff

5. Patient census

6. Patient care delivery system

7. Competence of the staff

8. Budget constraints

Staffing

Steps:

1. Determine the number of personnel needed

2. Make use of organizational resources

3. Adequate socialization of each employee

4. Use of creative and scheduling policies

Factors Affecting Staffing

1. Philosophy and objective of the hospital and the nursing service

2. Kinds of patients serves

3. Number of patients and their type of illness

4. Characteristics of nursing staff

5. Administrative policies

6. Standards of care

7. Resources of the nursing units

8. Involvement in professional activities

Administrative policies

- Rotation/pattern of work schedule

- Distribution by shifts

- Weekends and holidays off-duties

- Hours of work per annum of each employee

Types of Staffing

1. Centralized

2. Decentralized

Centralized Staffing

- one person makes the schedule for the nursing personnel (usually the chief nurse or her assigned personnel)

Centralized Staffing

Advantages:

- Fairer to all employees

- Most efficient use of resources

Centralized Staffing

Disadvantages:

- Less flexibility

- Less responsive to personnel budget control

Decentralized Staffing

done by more than one individual (usually head nurse)

Decentralized Staffing

Advantages:

- Increased autonomy and flexibility

- Increased likelihood that sound staffing decisions will be made

Decentralized Staffing

Disadvantage:

- likelihood of favoritism

Schedule

- a timetable showing planned workdays and shifts for personnel

- Goal: assign workdays and days off so quality service is ensured

Scheduling

Factors to consider:

1. Different levels of nursing staff

2. Cover 24-hour period

3. Five working days

4. Staggered vacations and holidays

5. Weekends

6. Long stretches of consecutive workdays

7. Shifting

8. Relieving

Scheduling Patterns

1. Cyclical

2. Flextime

3. 10-12 hr shift

4. Self-scheduling

Cyclical

- Allows long-term knowledge of future work schedules

because a set staffing pattern is repeated every few

weeks

- repetitive; cycle

Flextime

- flex; flexible

- do not usually follow the set schedule but with approval from the chief nurse or the one making the schedule

- e.g. working from 9-5 instead of the usual 7-3

10-12 hour shift

- working 10-12 hours per shift instead of the regular 8-hour shifts

- not really good; high risk of burnout and committing errors and job dissatisfaction

Self-Scheduling

- nurses choose their own schedule

- nurses can present their availability to the head

Scheduling

Factors to be considered:

- Premium pay for weekend off/night shift differentials

- Allowing nurses to exchange hours of work among themselves

- Part-time staffing pool

- Use of supplemental staffing (e.g, Floaters or pull-outs)

Generational Staffing

1. Silent Generation/ Veteran Generation

2. Baby Boomer Generation

3. Generation X

4. Generation Y (Millennials)

5. Generation Z

6. Generation Alpha

Silent Generation/Veteran Generation

- Born between 1925 - 1942; lived through World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War

- Tend to support the status quo rather than protest or push for rapid change

- Traditional work values, loyal to their employers

- Respectful authority, disciplined, and supportive of hierarchy

- no longer part of the workforce

- "Yes, sir" "Yes, ma'am"

Boom Generations/Baby Boomer Generation

- born between 1946-1964

- occupying current leadership/managerial roles

- Traditional work values

- More materialistic, workaholics

- Best suited for work that requires flexibility, independent thinking, and creativity

- called as such due to population explosion

Generation X

- 1965 - 1980

- Lack interest of lifetime employment in one place instead valuing greater work hour flexibility and opportunities for time off

- Had both parents working outside their homes

- Pragmatic; self-reliant and amenable to change

Generation Y/Millennials

- 1982 - 2000

- "Digital Natives"

- represent the first cohort of truly global citizens

- Known for their optimism, self-confidence, relationship orientation, volunteer mindedness, and social consciousness

- Work well in teams

- High degree of altruism, higher eco-awareness and greater multicultural ease

- Impatient and often come with a sense of entitlement

Generation Z

- 1997 - 2010

- Homeland generation, iGeneration, Gen Tech, or The Founders

- Just now entering workforce

- Sociologist suggest this generation will resemble the silent generation

- More likely to value security, comfort, familiar activities, and environment

Generational Staffing

Advantages:

- diverse skills and knowledge

- mentorship

- attitude and maturity

Process of Pre-Employment

A. Recruitment

B. Selection

C. Placement

D. Indoctrination

Recruitment

- Process of actively seeking out or attracting applicants for existing positions and should be an ongoing process

- consider the quality of people who can fulfill the organization's goals

Methods of Recruitment

- Advertisements

- Internet

- Nurse-recruiters

- Recruitment ad within the agency hire

- Newspaper

- Word of mouth

Interviewing

- tool for recruitment

Types of Interviews

1. Structured

2. Semi-structured

3. Unstructured

Selection

The process of choosing among from applicants the best qualified individual/s for a particular job or position

Placement

- Assign a new employee to a position within his or her sphere of authority, where the employee will have a reasonable chance for success

- Proper assigning of the new employee

Indoctination

- providing necessary information and education

- Planned, guided adjustments to an employee to the organization and the work environment

- Instill a feeling of belongingness and acceptance of the employee

Indoctination

Phases:

1. Induction

2. Orientation

3. Socialization

Induction

- Educating the new employee on the policies, procedures and organization

- Takes place after the employee has been selected but before performing the job role

Orientation

- policies of the unit where you are assigned and my also include other departments

- done by head nurse

- Provide information for smoother transition

- Activities are more specific for a position

Socialization

- Learning of the behaviors that accompany each role by instruction, observation, and trial and error

- learning the behaviors of the new employee and the organization to achieve desirable outcome

- staff development

Role Expectations

- Role models

- Preceptor

- Mentor

- Coach

Role models

- Looking up to someone else

- Experienced, competent individuals an individual wishes to emulate

- Someone who is unusually effective or inspiring in some social role, job, etc, and thus serves as a model for others

Preceptor

- An experienced nurse who provided knowledge and emotional support, as well as clarification of role expectations on a one-to-one basis.

- Educate and train newly hired nurses

Mentor

- Formal education

- Take on an even greater role in using education as means for role clarification

Coach

- One person helping the other person reach an optimal level of performance

- Help clarify statements and grown

- Sort of empowerment