Scheduling After Hours, Made Easy

One of the biggest challenges with providing telephone triage is scheduling, both during and after business hours. Challenges vary depending on the practice, but many of the problems are shared. Take a look at some solutions others have used and considerations when putting a schedule together.

Sharing calendars with other nurses, some working from home, can be difficult to coordinate. There are many online calendar sharing options available that can help make this process easier. Office 365 and Google Drive can be invaluable tools for sharing documents in real time.

Another option is to use a scheduler specifically for on call nurses. This can take some of the guesswork out of who is supposed to be available when, and some include features like an auto-caller to reach the next available nurse.

As you consider your options, be sure to take into account the time zone differences of any telehealth nurses working from home. You'll also want to make sure that there is adequate coverage during all hours that telephone triage is offered. If your coverage extends over a time zone border, make sure that this is reflected in your calendar.

Signing up for shifts can be done manually or through an online application, depending on what works for your practice and provides the best options for your staff.

Displaying and handling Schedules spanning two days can be a challenge. Not all calendars handle multiple days well. Sometimes this is best done through some manual processes or by splitting shifts. Some calendars use different display methods to accommodate this, generally purpose built for 24 hour scheduling.

Not all of your nurses will be familiar with the scheduling software. Make sure to schedule a training session for all new and existing nurses. If you plan on sharing calendars, make sure everyone knows the process and the software itself.

In some cases, it might make sense to hire an outside agency to provide telephone triage services. This can be a good option if you don't have the internal resources to dedicate to scheduling and managing the service.

On call priority with multiple nurses or doctors available can be difficult to manage. Make sure that your schedule has clearly defined roles (primary, secondary, etc.) for these shifts, or at least the ability to denote them.

Changing over shifts can be difficult to coordinate, especially when nurses are in different locations. There are many online calendar sharing options available that can help make this process easier. As mentioned, Office 365 and Google Calendars provide shared resources, which update in real time. Other options include Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, Microsoft Exchange, and more. Each option has its own set of features, so it's important to choose the one that best meets the needs of your practice.

What are some of your best tips for telehealth scheduling? Share them with us!