Using a nursing productivity committee to achieve cost savings and improve staffing levels and staff satisfaction.

Challenged by rising costs, higher registered nurse vacancy rates and declining staff morale, a Nursing Productivity Committee was formed to analyze productive and nonproductive hours and seek improvements in our staffing models and scheduling processes. The changes implemented led to lower nurse to patient ratios, better control of labor costs, elimination of agency staff, greater staff satisfaction, and introduction of new technologies. Nurse managers, nursing supervisors, and frontline staff are now more knowledgeable and empowered to use creative solutions to manage their budgets and schedules in these times of fluctuating census and varying vacancy rates.