orm_november-2023 - 26

Finances
Productivity and staffing
Staff productivity depends on having
staff work to the top of their license.
" You don't have nurses doing things
like cleaning or pulling cases that lowerpaid
positions could do, " Courtay says.
She adds that Duke has an advantage
in that it can shift staff from one ASC to
another to optimize productivity at each
location.
Stay connected
& informed.
Courtay says ASC leaders should not
establish staffing levels based on peak
volume, but rather focus on minimum
requirements, then use per diem staff
to supplement as needed. This strategy
helps avoid needing to send staff home
because of low volume.
Staff sometimes feel pressured to
@ORManager
@OR_Manager
linkedin.com/
company/
or-manager
increase their productivity, believing they
already have too much work. They may
even say patient safety is at risk. In this
case, Courtay focuses on whether standards
are being met. If they are, it helps
take the emotion out of the discussion.
For staff who complain about being required
to go to other ASCs when census
is low, Courtay frames it as a way to
help staff get their hours.
#ORManager
#ORMC
" The best way to boost productivity
is to make your employees happy, "
Goehle says. " You want to make sure
people are totally trained for the position,
that they're properly mentored, and
that they're given the proper amount of
time to acclimate to the job. " He recommends
ASC leaders have new staff
meet with those working in other areas.
For instance, an OR nurse should spend
time in PACU. In addition to building
relationships, " they might see things
that no one else noticed but could be
changed to improve care and productivity, "
Goehle says. It can be difficult to
invest in onboarding time when staff
shortages exist, but doing so will reduce
staff turnover and ultimately save the
center money.
#ORBMC
42475
Keeping employees happy depends
on maintaining a positive culture, Courtay
says. " You want to explain why you
are doing things, how they can be a
26
OR Manager | Nov/Dec 2023
part of it, and get their ideas about how
things can work better. " She adds that
ongoing recognition is key, " They want
to hear 'thank you' and know that what
they're doing is appreciated. "
A positive culture includes positioning
productivity as a positive force. " Try
to have staff look at productivity in a
positive way, " Ziegler-Otis says. Leaders
can work with staff to identify ways
to change work processes so they are
more productive but also are doing the
clinical work they are trained for, rather
than less satisfying work that others or
technology can do. Listening to staff's
ideas and concerns is key. For example,
if staff are concerned about an added
task, leaders can work with them to see
if there are other activities that could be
eliminated, such as those that are only
being done because of tradition but are
hindering productivity.
Ziegler-Otis adds that to maintain efficiency,
leaders need to address staff
issues promptly to avoid a drop in morale.
" The efficiency of an organization
is directly related to the morale of employees, "
she says. " If an employee
is behaving inappropriately or causing
team issues, it's important to address
the issue, work through it in a timely
manner, and not let it persist. "
Here to stay
" With value-based care moving into the
ASC, productivity is going to become
more and more important to us, " Kirchner
says. By keeping measures simple
and using data to make thoughtful
changes, ASC leaders can enhance the
success of their centers. " The metrics
can help you think through ways to be
a more effective leader and to enable
your staff to be more effective as well, "
Ziegler-Otis says. ORM
-Cynthia Saver, MS, RN, is president of
CLS Development, Inc, Columbia,
Maryland, which provides editorial
services to healthcare publications.
www.ormanager.com
https://www.facebook.com/ORManager/ https://twitter.com/OR_Manager http://www.linkedin.com/company/or-manager https://www.ormanager.com/ https://www.ormanagerconference.com/ https://www.orbusinessmanagementconference.com/ http://www.ormanager.com
orm_november-2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of orm_november-2023
