|
Many doctors choose to become emergency room physicians because they like the variety in their shifts. Others choose the specialty in spite of the ever-changing ER physician schedule. In any case, most ER doctors have to work rotating shifts to ensure proper coverage, often at the expense of their well-being and their social lives. Changing shifts can also negatively affect patient care, so helping ER doctors improve their schedule is in the best interest of a healthcare organization.
Rotating shifts can diminish alertness and performance in the ER
Changing shifts can alter sleeping and eating patterns that upset circadian rhythms, which can affect your alertness and ultimately the quality of your care.
The good news is that you can create the perfect ER physician schedule to meet both your needs and the needs of your healthcare organization. Today’s sophisticated physician scheduling software allows healthcare providers to record shift preferences, enter future shift requests, confirm requested shifts, and even split, trade, or give away shifts.
How to Build the Perfect ER Physician Schedule
Identify your favorite shift
Do you prefer the relative quiet of the early morning shift? Or do you prefer working when you have the full complement of ancillary services, such as radiology and pharmacy?
While ER doctors rarely work the same shifts all the time, you may be able to request your favorite shifts.
Become an expert at managing reduced support services at night
Emergency departments are typically busiest between 3 and 9 pm, when people are getting home from work or school. Unfortunately, many departments are winding down during late afternoon and evening, and are sparsely staffed overnight. Struggling to get blood drawn and imaging done can complicate an otherwise quiet shift.
Work with other ED staff to learn how to deal with the lack of support services, such as utilizing on-call specialists or using ED scribes.
Embrace your normal sleep patterns
Your perfect schedule may depend on whether you are an “early bird” or a “night owl,” or something in between. Your underlying sleep tendencies, or chronotype, affect when you’ll be at your physical and mental best.
Research suggests that people whose sleep preferences align with the sun are most productive between 11 am and 6 pm, for example, while early risers are typically at their best from dawn until noon. Night owls are always glad to fill the late shifts, which makes emergency medicine scheduling a breeze.
Use online physician scheduling software whenever possible
Online shift scheduling software helps practitioners create the perfect schedule. The ability to view shift availability and requesters, make online requests for shifts, time off, and vacation, and record shift preferences helps ED doctors shape their work hours. Allowing providers to split, trade, or give away shifts empowers them to make decisions for themselves, while swap-meets give emergency physicians the chance to fine-tune their work hours.
Founded by an emergency physician more than 30 years ago, ByteBloc software provides the very best benefits in shift scheduling. Today, ByteBloc can be found in emergency departments in all 50 states and Canada.
|