Achieving Improvements in Nursing Productivity through the Implementation of Data Driven Analytics

In the first quarter of fiscal year 11, 60% of Rush University Medical Center’s inpatient units were above

budgeted productivity targets (measured by worked hours per patient day); premium labor utilization

was above budget driven primarily by overtime; increased mandatory low census PTO utilization was

seen on a number of units and staff scheduling patterns were inconsistent across division. In response,

the Department of Nursing Finance and Management Systems (NFMS) implemented a program with the

objective of improving nursing productivity while preserving bedside hours/ nurse to patient ratios;

improving leadership accountability; providing ongoing education on productivity measurement/

financial performance; providing tools to monitor & achieve budgeted targets. The improvements were

categorized into five areas of change:

1. Staffing core coverage thresholds: optimize max number of hours to be scheduled per week based on census trends staffing ratios

2. Position management/control procedures: Framework to effectively hire, manage, deploy & leverage staff based on volume; Position Management Committee maintains decentralized hiring decision making while providing centralized oversight

3. Standardized monthly variance reporting processes: optimize utilization of technology (Nursing Compass); streamline multitude sources of data

4. Education: regular training programs & weekly office hours drop in sessions 5. Continuous monitoring/action planning

Planning/research methods: Utilizing literature review, technical expertise, and collaboration with

clinical leaders, an approach was developed and a set of decision support tools were created.

Implementation Methods: Following the design and development of each new process, unit-based

nurse leaders were provided training on the expected utilizing of each tool. The tools, designed to be

delivered on a recurring schedule, are updated using real-time data and delivered to leadership on

consistent schedules.

Results: Process improvements and enhanced decision making by nursing leadership has resulted in a

3% improvement in productivity and a 2% decrease in premium labor utilization on Nursing Inpatients

units. The net result was a decrease in labor cost per patient day and a projected annual savings of

$647K.

Dina M. Pilipczuk, MBA, Director of Nursing Financial & Management Systems, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago IL, dina_pilipczuk@rush.edu Eric Zukowski, Sr. Financial Analyst, Nursing Financial & Management Systems, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago IL, eric_zukowski@rush.edu