8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8
SCHEDULING SOLUTIONS
Staffing After-Hours Cases
Ideas Work
P r a c t i c a l p e a r l s f r o m y o u r c o l l e a g u e s
That
S
ome surgeons
think nothing of
operating past
closing time. Way past.
Your nurses and techs?
Yeah, they can probably
do without unexpected
late nights in the OR. And
you wouldn't miss the
overtime-inflated payroll
that goes with after-hours
surgery. Here's a simple
solution that will work for
everybody: Create a 2-per-
son late-case team for sur-
geries that end or begin
past your normal quitting
time. All you need is 1
nurse and 1 tech who are
willing to work 3 12-hour
shifts every week.
The key is getting your
surgeons to agree to only
schedule late surgeries on certain days. For us, that's Mondays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays. On those days, our late-case team works
from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. This not only ensures our physicians are fully
• NIGHT SHIFT Creating a dedicated shift to cover after-hours cases could
boost staff morale and your bottom line.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
