Managing On-Call

Why? Making a good thing better Feedback from evaluations Concerns with messages via cellphone carrier & idea that only the same people are taking on-call

Needed your input This affects you Your input matters! This is one way you can have a voice in the direction of the unit Sought out charge nurses as they manage on call, as well as care nurses

Feedback themes from Charge Nurses Process should not be harder than it needs to be CN would prefer to manage system vs HUC Concerns about being on-call and needing to float > 15 years experience = No Float

DUHS On-Call (Standby Policy) “On-call employees must be able to respond to service needs via the telephone within 15 minutes and return to work within 60 minutes” Cannot prioritize seniority perk over DUHS policy If staff can be here with 60 minutes, no need to automatically float. Applies to newer staff as well

Recent Data Last 30 days: Last 30 days 28 instances of staff having been put on call. 4 individuals have taken call more than once August into September has been mixed with being staffing being adequate and short Currently heading into a period with adequate staffing

Survey Results Themes: 33 Total surveys returned (thank you!) “The same people keep taking call” 7 surveys Concern about delayed messages or messages being received at different time 5 surveys Suggested some form of list/limit for on-call 9 surveys

Survey Results “I like that there is an on-call system to begin with.” “I like that it is easy to send out the message” “It is nice that on-call is voluntary and I don’t have to take it if I don’t want to” “I like that my cell phone carrier works, and I receive the messages when they are current”

Revised Plan Goal, simple: provide more opportunity for all to take call No changes to >15 year staff, no changes to newer staff. ie: no restrictions related to floating Not a large incidence of staff being called in to float Staff on-call need to be here within 60 minutes, per DUHS policy Not historically a problem Lists/Limits fits our current culture: Already use similar system for ECMO & Floating

Revised Plan Continued Charge nurse sends out text page. First come, first serve receives call. Staff Member Takes Call: Should avoid calling in for rest of calendar month. Applies whether called in or not called in. Applies whether called-in in 2 minutes or off whole shift. Does not apply to being sent home from work. Charge Nurse documents nurse in that month’s on-call list Calendar month used bc simple: Charge nurses don’t have time to sit back and count 30 days, 60 days, etc. If after 10 minutes no one has taken call, charge nurse can send out another page telling staff anyone can take call. “On-call, open to everyone”. Anyone can call in, does not matter if had call prior or not. New pages in Charge Nurse Book

Roll-out Start Monday 9/12 Allows information to spread, weekend staff to come in Questions?