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In this article, we are going to look at what a health roster is, the tools available to implement one, and why they are important. Let’s get started.
If you work in the health business, getting the right rota system can be tricky. Balancing the needs of staff with those of the patients is never easy. On top of this, ensuring that you have the right staff at the right time is crucial for patient care and efficiency.
In the medical sector, there is an enhanced need for rosters to be perfect. For a normal business, a rota mistake may lose the company money. In the medical profession, a rota mistake may lose a life.
But don’t fear. There are many tried and trusted health roster applications available that can help.
What is a Health Roster?
A health roster (or healthcare rota, as we commonly call it) is a rota used for staffing in the medical profession. It can be paper or electronic in nature and will be compiled by the person who is in charge of staffing.
This roster will allow a specific practice or medical area (ward, hospital, etc) to ensure that staffing levels are adequate at all times.
What do most health care professionals include in a healthcare rota?
A health roster often takes the form of a timetable or calendar. It will have dates or, more commonly, days of the week and specified time slots that require filling. Each slot will have specific needs. For example, you may need to have an increased level of nursing cover in the evenings. Or you may need doctors with cardiac experience on a specific day. It is the job of the person or manager who fills out the rota to ensure that staffing levels are adequate in each slot.
What format do health rosters take?
It depends on the size of the group the roster manages. Some smaller concerns, like a handful of nurses on a ward, may write their rota on a piece of paper. Medium-sized medical practices may use something like a spreadsheet for their roster. Other larger areas, like a hospital, may use specific software.
Can you get health roster software?
Yes. The NHS has its own software for creating healthcare rotas that staff can access at all levels of the business. They even provide staff with an app so they can see their rota at home and perform a variety of HR tasks.
If you work in a private practice, then there are other options open to you. There are many HR software apps and software systems out there that make creating health rosters easy. Some cost money to implement while others are free. It’s best to do a bit of research before opting for a specific health roster application to ensure it meets your needs.
What are the benefits of using health roster software?
There are many benefits to using health roster software, including:
- It helps reduce the time to create a rota.
- It helps prevent scheduling errors. This is vital in the medical profession where not having the required staff can be catastrophic for patients.
- It helps ensure better staff coverage.
- It helps reduce paper consumption and printing costs.
Check out Papershift scheduling software to manage your healthcare rota with ease. Book a free demo here.
