Case Study: Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital 2023 Achievement Award (Optimal Operations)

Team Nursing; Changing a Care Model, Changing a Culture 
Optimal Operations - Medium Division

The Goal

Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital aimed to implement a new care delivery model to reduce the number of nursing vacancies, turnover, and contract labor usage, and improve staff satisfaction.

Intervention

Researching best practices on care models to reduce costs and improve vacancy, team nursing was discovered. The hospital moved from a primary RN model to a mixed team nursing model with RNs, LPNs and Care Partners delivering care at a higher ratio.

Results

The greatest realization from changing to this model was the impact it had on the culture of the unit. The teamwork and care given on the trial unit was beyond anything the leadership team could have imagined. Patient and employee outcomes showed significant improvement from FY20 to FY22. Most impressively, the trial unit eliminated contract labor agency staff usage, with rates dropping from 17.66 percent to 0 percent.

The success of this “trial” moved the organization forward in implementing the model across the entire system. As a system, just under 100 LPNs were recruited in less than six months.

A pipeline was created to partner with a local school to financially support the education of the next group of incoming LPN students and secure them as future employees in the system. With implementation of this model across the system, we have reduced the agency spend significantly for the organization.

 

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Topics: Quality Initiatives, Workforce

Revision Date: 2/28/2023

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