Shared on behalf of Adam Vinet, Executive Vice President, Patient Experience & Chief Nursing Executive

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I am pleased to present my final update of 2021. It has been a challenging year in health care and beyond, yet I am astounded by the resilience of our staff, inspired by the commitment to patients and families, and encouraged by our willingness to collaborate in finding solutions to our challenges.

I am extremely proud of the successes achieved to date. Below are a few highlights of the work since my last update, as well as some activities that are planned in the new year.

Progress Updates:

• Increased Staffing Clerk FTE approved by SLC in order to reduce backlogs and improve timing of calls for advance shifts.
• Daily Staffing Clerk huddles at beginning of each shift to share information and ensure smooth transition between shifts.
• The Staffing Office regular weekend business hours will be extended to 10:00 p.m. beginning December 27, 2021.
• ICU Clerk scheduling trial from November 22 to February 22 where immediate needs and sick calls are managed at unit level.
• Development of a tool for Unit Care Aide requests that will allow for better tracking of UCA utilization as well as assist Managers/Unit Leaders, Admin Coordinators, and Staffing Office in the prioritization of filling
• UCA requests.
• Staffing Office leadership and clerks have identified and prioritized 27 internal process improvements and are co-designing and trialing solutions for many of these.
• Master rotation reviews for areas of highest need.

Next Steps:

• The current spring hire processes is under review; a proposal regarding improvements is forthcoming and will include recommendations such as extending the length of orientation for new staff.
• Finalize the approval of financing for a new automated scheduling system that will allow for greater autonomy and ability to view schedules from home.
• Formation of working group to choose and implement a real-time acuity tool and leverage this tool to assess patient acuity and inform staffing requirements/gaps at the start of every shift.

Advancement of the major initiatives as well as trials of small improvements will continue into the next year. I often reflect on the quote “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” Although we may not always get it perfect the first time, we must never stop seeking continuous improvement. Whether that be in large steps such a introducing a new organizational scheduling software tool or by making small improvements in the way we perform our day to day tasks such as how we document and communicate an available shift. All these things matter, and will bring us a step closer to better communication, better work environments, and a more fulfilling work experience for all staff.

In order to measure the impact of these improvement initiatives over time, front line staff are invited to participate in a quick survey. The survey will be repeated periodically over the next twelve to eighteen months as we continue to implement changes.

The survey is open until January 21, 2022.

Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H9NFSQR

For more information, please contact any member of the Staffing Project Planning Team:

Angela Kutok, Performance Improvement Consultant, kutoka@tbh.net

Dawna Maria Perry, Director, Nursing Practice, perryd@tbh.net

Jordan Stokes, Practice Coordinator, Nursing Resource Team, stokesj@tbh.net

Laura Macgowan, Manager, Labour Relations, macgowal@tbh.net

Lori Neri, Staffing Coordinator, neril@tbh.net

Michael Del Nin, Director, Strategy and Performance, delninm@tbh.net

Rita Grenier Buchan, Manager, Nursing Resource Team and Staffing, grenierr@tbh.net