P44A
Lessons Learned in Floating MAs between Ambulatory Sites
Free
Standard Price
Background of the problem: Floating may affect employee satisfaction and engagement negatively, yet floating is often essential to maintain department operations. Three very different units: family practice (FP), pediatrics and adult subspecialties, general pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) and internal medicine (IM) faced the challenge of medical assistants (MA) voicing resistance to floating.
Literature review: Staffing needs may vary day to day, necessitating the need to float staff between 3 units to meet patient and organizational needs.1 The major criticism of floating is that each unit is a specialty requiring a different set of skills.2 If floating is viewed negatively by staff, then it can cause anxiety and this may impact safety and efficiency.1 Finding ways to make floating less anxiety producing may positively impact staff satisfaction and engagement; which in turn may enhance safety and efficiency of float staff.
Objectives/purpose: To initiate and implement a program to facilitate a positive floating experience for MAs by altering both our hiring and our orientation practices.
Methods
• Change hiring practices: finding the right “fit” for a position that will require floating as a major part of the job
• Orientation to all departments: that includes shadowing a resource person
• Assignments: adjusted considering MAs background, skill set, and feedback
Outcomes
• Productivity metrics prior to program averaged 107.5% for the timeshare and 94.3% for CFM.
• Productivity metrics during implementation averaged 101.6% for the timeshare and 96.4% for family medicine.
• Prior to implementation, the number of floating instances averaged 2.16.
• Post-implementation, the number of floating instances increased to 16 at the highest point.
• MAs were satisfied with the program and actually began to enjoy floating.
Conclusion/recommendation: Our floating model has not been met with resistance, and it has been a cost-effective way to assure all areas are adequately staffed. Most important change was assuring the person hired was a good “fit.” Culture will change over time as program is continued. We would recommend that floating only be required of the new MAs and that MAs hired prior to this program be offered, but not required to participate, instead utilizing them as the resource person or mentor.
Literature review: Staffing needs may vary day to day, necessitating the need to float staff between 3 units to meet patient and organizational needs.1 The major criticism of floating is that each unit is a specialty requiring a different set of skills.2 If floating is viewed negatively by staff, then it can cause anxiety and this may impact safety and efficiency.1 Finding ways to make floating less anxiety producing may positively impact staff satisfaction and engagement; which in turn may enhance safety and efficiency of float staff.
Objectives/purpose: To initiate and implement a program to facilitate a positive floating experience for MAs by altering both our hiring and our orientation practices.
Methods
• Change hiring practices: finding the right “fit” for a position that will require floating as a major part of the job
• Orientation to all departments: that includes shadowing a resource person
• Assignments: adjusted considering MAs background, skill set, and feedback
Outcomes
• Productivity metrics prior to program averaged 107.5% for the timeshare and 94.3% for CFM.
• Productivity metrics during implementation averaged 101.6% for the timeshare and 96.4% for family medicine.
• Prior to implementation, the number of floating instances averaged 2.16.
• Post-implementation, the number of floating instances increased to 16 at the highest point.
• MAs were satisfied with the program and actually began to enjoy floating.
Conclusion/recommendation: Our floating model has not been met with resistance, and it has been a cost-effective way to assure all areas are adequately staffed. Most important change was assuring the person hired was a good “fit.” Culture will change over time as program is continued. We would recommend that floating only be required of the new MAs and that MAs hired prior to this program be offered, but not required to participate, instead utilizing them as the resource person or mentor.
Speaker
Nancy Richards, MSN, BSN, RN-BC
Specialties
General
Session Categories
Related Products
Peer-Supported Professional Development in the Ambulatory Setting
Evidence-based professional development initiatives such as certification and clinical ladder advancement can improve nursing knowledge and staff satisfaction and promote team building, henceforth impact patient outcomes…
Ambulatory Rapid Response: A Nurse-Driven Innovation for Improvement of Emergency Management in the Outpatient Environment
Background: In 2018, our facility opened a new 260,000 square-foot state-of-the-art ambulatory care facility. This new facility put many complex care specialists and advanced technology under one roof supporting a comprehensive, coordinated, and multidisciplinary approach to patient care…
Developing a Standardized Nursing Orientation for Clinical Employees in the Ambulatory Setting
In a large healthcare enterprise that features many different ambulatory clinic specialties and locations, it can be difficult to provide an orientation that is inclusive and applicable to such a wide range of staff members…
An Innovative Ambulatory Nurse Training Program, SBIRT, Improves Oncology Patients' SLEEP
Introduction: Evidence suggests patients with cancer experience sleep disruption or sleep-wake disturbances before diagnosis, during cancer treatment, and for a long time after completing treatment (Berger, Matthews, Kenkel, 2017)…
