Have An Efficient Clinic Day While Understaffed

It is common to have periods of understaffing in the outpatient clinic. The clinic goes on and patients are still being seen. It is possible to keep the clinic running smoothly and efficiently without compromising patient care during this time.

Unexpected circumstances happen. It may be an employee’s personal problem, health-related issues, or staff members choose to resign. Whatever it is, there are still patients scheduled to be seen. No patient expects to have suboptimal care even when your office is understaffed.

It is important to face the situation of understaff head on. Accept the fact that this is your reality for now. Then be open to believe that it is possible to stay at the same level of productivity and efficiency during this period of time.

While one of the immediate solutions is to hire more people, it may not be possible in certain situations, such as if the missing worker is on maternity leave or some form of FMLA in certain institutions. If there seems to be a higher turnover compared to other institutions, it is vital to explore and understand why that is the case. Is it because of the compensation, the nature of the job or the culture of the work environment? The long term solution is to find out the cause of rapid staff turnover and take action to change. However, this does not affect the immediate or the short-term situation of understaffing.

It is important to focus on the solution rather than blaming whatever situation it is that cause the understaffing reality. It is not helpful to focus on excuses. For outpatient clinics, the usual goal in an understaffed office is to see the same number of patients without sacrificing efficiency or the quality of care.

Create a culture of positive attitude. It makes a big difference when you emphasize on team work and lifting one another up. The team spirit allows everyone to work together, and it also opens the capacity for staff members to contribute more. It is about getting things done. Team work allows the whole office to move forward together. An office with a culture of gratitude, content and kindness will work much better than disgruntled, blaming and frustrated staff.

View the understaff situation as an opportunity to grow. If you see it as a growing point, then you will be curious to ask what there is to learn from this experience. Is there anything in the workflow that can be improved? Is there any process or procedure that can be more streamlined? Are there more tasks that can be delegated? Assess and evaluate if any process is to be restructured or reinvented.

It is also best if certain staff members can be cross -trained so it is easier for them to cross-cover when necessary.

Prioritize. When you are understaffed, you and your office may not be able to accomplished as much as when you are fully staffed. List out the things to be done, with most important tasks first. See what needs to be done for the day. For example, for most clinics, the top priority is for each doctor to see the scheduled patients as on time as possible. Things like having a medical assistant to room the patients with vitals done, staff members to check in and check out patients, someone to obtain authorizations for imaging studies – these are some examples of keeping the clinic flow smoothly. Theses are some things best to keep going even when you are understaffed.

Besides creating a culture with positive attitude, it is also vital to have a culture of focused hard work. While you or your staff members are at work, do the work and minimize distractions, either from non-work-related chats, email messages or phone calls. The more focus everyone is, the more efficient the clinic is.

Despite there is a higher demand of contribution from each staff member in an understaffed office, it is still important to take scheduled breaks. Breaks are a good time a refresh and recharge. You will be more energized and efficient to carry on the rest of the day.

Positive attitude in the work environment includes practicing gratitude throughout the day, and it is even more important when you are requiring staff to do more than usual. Always show appreciation and gratitude toward your staff members. Thank them for their hard work.

Efficiency is possible even when you are understaffed in your outpatient clinic. Keep a positive attitude despite facing challenges. Work as a team and promote the pleasant and helpful team spirit. Focus on the solution – to streamline, delegate or to change the workflow if necessary. Always be goal-oriented and figuring out the solution. Be grateful always, thank your team. No matter how busy the clinic is, always take scheduled breaks and avoid unscheduled breaks or distractions.