Rostering in a pandemic: Sustainability is key.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Occupational Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Healthcare organizations implemented emergency rotas during the COVID-19 pandemic peak.
• These emergency rotas, while addressing immediate staffing needs, are often unsustainable long-term.
• Resuming services necessitates a reevaluation of existing rostering practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss strategies for achieving optimal healthcare rostering post-pandemic.
• To identify key principles for creating sustainable and effective staff rotas.
• To highlight the wellbeing benefits associated with improved rostering.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of best practices for healthcare rota design.
• Identification of key principles for sustainable rostering.
• Focus on staff involvement and consideration of individual circumstances.

Main Results:

• Emergency rotas are not sustainable for long-term healthcare operations.
• Optimal rostering offers significant wellbeing benefits for healthcare staff.
• Key principles for effective rostering include staff participation, flexibility, rest, and team stability.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare organizations need to transition from emergency rotas to sustainable models.
• Implementing principles like staff involvement and flexibility can improve rota effectiveness and staff wellbeing.
• Integrated rota design across different staff grades is crucial for creating stable healthcare teams.