Why We Should Be Paying Attention to the Evolving World Of Staffing Technology Solutions.

Staffing solutions are evolving at remarkable speed. It no longer takes large, complicated, technical teams to create powerful, reliable, high-quality solutions. Today's cloud-based solutions can be implemented in hours and configured as fast as an organization can tolerate. These new, well-designed systems are highly intuitive and adopted rapidly. Data can be displayed in different ways for different users with different responsibilities. Upgrades are no longer big, costly events; they are done automatically. Large outlays for licensing fees and big start-up costs are also things of the past.

A Brief Economic Analysis of the Looming Nursing Shortage In the United States.

The United States is projected to experience a nursing shortage in the coming years as market forces begin to shift away from equilibrium. A return to pre-recession work levels, aging baby boomers, and insufficient numbers of nursing graduates adversely affect the supply of nurses The aging population, a rise in chronic care management needs, and the Affordable Care Act will result in an increasing demand for them. Returning to a state of equilibrium is critical if our health care system is to ensure care that is accessible, safe, and cost effective.

Hours per Patient Day: Not the Problem, Nor the Solution.

Hours per patient day (HPPD) is a metric that is easy to use in determining budgeted FTE and in comparing staffing across organizations. There are many considerations in determining the appropriate HPPD. The combination of automated patient acuity, staffing, and human resource systems provide a wealth of information for determining the budgeted HPPD and in making defensible requests for adjustments in HPPD. No matter how much data we have about staffing levels, nurse education and skill levels, the environment of care, or patient acuity, the real key is determining the outcomes we need to compare staffing against. We must quantify the savings associated with positive outcomes and get this information in the hands of the public so they can make informed decisions.

Extra funds set to relieve pressure on staff this winter.

The NHS could not be better prepared for winter. At least that was the message when the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England launched their Stay Well This Winter campaign.

Five dilemmas associated with e-rostering.

Increased use of e-rostering is likely to benefit nurses and patients, but will also create dilemmas for staff. Rosters may not be flexible enough to accommodate day-to-day changes, and may also foster unfair treatment and disempower staff.