'Lansley must listen to nurses on the front line' 
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- Article: Managing staff shifts through e-rostering. Nursing Times: 107: online issue.
- Author: Dodd S (2011)
Key points
- E-rostering technology records annual leave requests, staff shift preferences, sick leave, staff movement between wards, and staff skills. It can also hold information on medical supplies, and help make payroll systems more accurate
- E-rostering enables senior nurses to plan shifts well in advance and forecast staffing requirements, reducing reliance on agency staff
- It reduces the time senior nurses spend on administration, freeing up time for direct care
- The system makes shift allocation fairer, so is less divisive and more popular with staff
- It can help with incident planning and to ensure there is enough cover during particularly busy periods
Let’s discuss
- What problems do you have with traditional off duty? Think about incorporating requests, holidays, bank and agency staff.
- How could e-rostering improve management of staff time in your clinical area?
- How can e-rostering promote fairer off duty planning and improve staff morale?
- How would you explain the benefits of e-rostering to your team?
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Readers' comments (5)
Anonymous | 9-Aug-2011 5:33 pm
In principle this seems like a good idea but in practice the systems don't deliver. There are so many variables to deal with including personal requests
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maria nicholson | 9-Aug-2011 7:07 pm
I disagree - it does deliver if managed properly with the system updated regularly with changes of staff (ie staff attrition & replacement with different skill set, hours, etc).
It does need reviewing at least 3 monthly and at least it is far more transparent than other systems. It is auditable and therefore aids goverance (clinical and financial).
and much more - so sorry, I am an advocate of e-technology being used as a practical management tool.
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mike | 15-Aug-2011 0:53 am
I have to disagree with you Maria. Although I share your advocacy of some e tech, e rostering takes work life balance or fair requests into account no more than human rostering did. The shift patterns of our profession need completely overhauling, but e rostering is not the way to do them.
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desertdeserter | 15-Aug-2011 9:44 am
The e-rostering does not take into account the personal life or sleep deprivation encountered by staff. If you work four nights in a row the system will happily put you on the next day because it is a spare slot. Since it's introduction the managers have spent more time altering it then we ever did planning the damn rota in the first place. good idea in theory but terrible in practice. At the moment at least
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Anonymous | 19-Aug-2011 11:41 pm
have worked a 'flexiable' fixed shift pattern for nearly 8 yrs with no problems, third lot of e-rostering out and again i'm screwed! appears to be a way to take up all nurse in charge time whilst still not benefiting staff, have applied to M&S
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