Nashoba Valley Medical Center First Hospital in New England to Implement Software that Puts Nursing Shifts Up for Bid
Ayer, MA, August 26th 2004 - Nashoba Valley Medical Center (NVMC), is using an eBay-type system to fill open shifts, where nurses work the vacant slot at a pay rate that they themselves set. The medical center is the first hospital in New England to use eShiftT, a Web-based flexible staffing tool, to help clinical managers meet their fluctuating staffing demands in an effective and affordable manner.
eShift allows hospital staff to self-schedule online to meet their weekly or monthly commitments. Unfilled shifts can be re-posted as auctions for staff to bid on the hourly rate, with the lowest qualified bidder being notified by e-mail when the auction closes (usually 2 - 10 days in advance of the shift).
The medical center is having great success using eShift: The program allows nursing professionals to have more control over their own hours and work schedule, giving them more flexibility.
The main benefits of eShift for nurses include improved access, flexibility and control to accommodate nurses' lifestyle priorities, and the opportunity for increased hourly wages, some at incentive rates. eShift also gives nurses the ability to manage personal career objectives, and they like receiving fewer calls asking to work on days off. eShift has helped motivate staff making them better able to meet their personal income objectives. eShift is also easy for nurses to use either from home or at their stations provided by NVMC.
Chief Nursing Officer Carol A. Conroy said, "It allows us to have our own Nashoba Valley Medical Center nurses caring for our patients and is a strategy to decrease our dependence on temporary-agency nurses." NVMC Human Resources Director Wanda Edwards says that even people who are intimidated by computers find the process to be simple and they enjoy using it. She says the program has been a successful recruitment tool. "eShift is a real innovation for nurses.
When potential hires find out about eShift, they become very interested in NVMC as an employer. It's helping us recruit nurses into our system," she said.
Lynn Arsenault, RN, a frequent user of eShift at NVMC had this to say about her experiences, "eShift is very convenient to my lifestyle, but what I love most about it is having the option to pick an extra shift on my terms and convenient to my busy schedule."
According to Karen Tomasetti, RN, who works as a "per diem" nurse in the NVMC Emergency Department, price bidding works smoothly. "Someone can come in and underbid, but most of the time, I get what I bid for," she said.
The eShift process is simple:
After initial scheduling of staff nurses, open shifts are posted online, with a maximum hourly rate that the hospital will pay. Only qualified nurses can bid on the available slot. Nurses then put in bids at the maximum rate or below. The qualified nurse at the lowest bid price wins the open shift. It's like eBay in reverse.
NVMC Andrei Soran said that he is implementing many innovations at the hospital, eShift being one of them. "We want to give our nurses more choices and more flexibility. In the end, that's what's best for our patients," he said.
How much for your women??
"We are pleased with the success of eShift at Nashoba Valley Medical Center," says Rod Hart, President of Flexestaff, which owns and markets eShift. "It shows that a creative and flexible solution like eShift can provide value to an innovative hospital of any size."
Some interesting resources are: Mass Nurse
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