Understaffing is best covered by a temporary professional who quickly works independently and follows the existing agreements. It also helps to choose deliberately what really has to continue during a busy period.
Sickness, leave or an open vacancy: in every care organisation there are times when there are temporarily fewer hands than needed. The team absorbs a lot, but that cannot go on forever. It is precisely in such a period that agreements on reporting, hygiene and handover come under pressure. In this article you will read how to maintain quality.
When a team works with too few people for a longer period, shortcuts creep in. Reports become brief, a handover goes faster than is wise and new or temporary colleagues get less explanation. Nobody chooses this deliberately; it is the result of time pressure. It is good to name it, so that you can do something about it.
The permanent team also feels the consequences. Staff who keep working extra shifts or have to guide new colleagues become tired. Attention for the client then comes under pressure, while that is the very core of the work. A temporary solution should therefore not only fill gaps, but also relieve the team.
A temporary nurse can ease the pressure, especially if they can work independently quickly. Think about which shifts or tasks help most and what the period is. If a permanent staff member is off sick, it makes sense to agree this clearly; see also a temporary nurse during sickness absence.
In a busy period it is tempting to want to keep everything going at once. Instead, choose a few points you will not compromise on. For example:
That foundation prevents small differences from growing into risks.
During understaffing, faces often change quickly. Every new colleague brings their own way of working. That calls for agreements that are visible and easy to pass on. How to maintain quality when the team keeps changing is explained under safeguarding quality when staff change.
I am available at short notice and need little induction time. I keep an overview, even in dynamic situations, and during my shifts I also pay attention to the agreements in place. Where appropriate, I help the team to hold on to those agreements. Read more under nursing cover.
I help with this through nursing cover and consistent working agreements. Want to know what that means for your organisation? Schedule an introduction.
During a busy period, make a short list of what has to happen as a minimum per shift. That provides something to hold on to, including for temporary colleagues.
That depends on my availability at that moment. Feel free to get in touch, and we will look together at what is possible.
We determine that in the assignment. I can work shifts and also pay attention to working methods, reporting or hygienic working if that is part of the agreement.
By recording agreements during the assignment and handing them over to the permanent team. That way something useful remains after I leave.
I am happy to drop by for a coffee to discuss your question.
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