Striving to become as efficient as possible, Auburn Memorial Hospital is implementing a change in staffing that will eliminate two part-time and two full-time licensed practical nurse jobs at its nursing home.
The Finger Lakes Center for Living changes will create a situation that saves money and provides more quality care, said Chad Hoffman, human resources director.
As part of the change, the hospital nursing supervisor will take on the administrative duties of the nursing home's full-time and part-time nursing supervisors for the night shift. “We were analyzing the situation and realized we had supervisors for both the hospital and the nursing home and it didn't make sense from a cost perspective for patients and for safety reasons,” Hoffman said.
To make up for this shift, hospital officials have changed employees' qualification for the third shift. Registered nurses will replace the current licensed practical nurses for that same shift, Hoffman said. The facility employs two full-time and two part-time LPNs for the night shift.
Now, the facility will have two full-time and part-time RNs for that shift.
The change will allow the RNs to handle responsibilities and services that the LPNs had to rely on the supervisors for because LPNs are not legally able to do according to state nursing laws.
Hoffman pointed to an example of a fallen resident. While both levels of nurses can assist them, only the registered nurse can assess the resident to see if they need extra care. The LPN had to get a registered nurse, for example the nursing supervisor, to evaluate the resident's condition.
“It's also a quality-of-care issue,” Hoffman said, adding the RNs will be able to provide a higher level of care to residents and there will be the same number of nurses.
The full-time nursing supervisor is transferring to the emergency room, having already expressed her interest before the change. The part-time worker will fill one of the part-time RN position created by the new policy.
Hospital officials will continue to examine the institution for ways of providing the same care at a decreased cost, something most organizations should do on a regular basis, Hoffman said.
Auburn Memorial Hospital petitioned for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April to reduce and restructure $20 million in debt with the goal of freeing up its cash flow for capital investment. Officials said the move helped them avoid closing the facility, its clinics in Auburn and Skaneateles or the Finger Lakes Center for Living, and employee layoffs.
“We're always, as a responsible organization, looking how to cut costs while keeping the same quality of care. In this case, we're saving money and improving the quality of care,” Hoffman said.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
As part of the change, the hospital nursing supervisor will take on the administrative duties of the nursing home's full-time and part-time nursing supervisors for the night shift. “We were analyzing the situation and realized we had supervisors for both the hospital and the nursing home and it didn't make sense from a cost perspective for patients and for safety reasons,” Hoffman said.
To make up for this shift, hospital officials have changed employees' qualification for the third shift. Registered nurses will replace the current licensed practical nurses for that same shift, Hoffman said. The facility employs two full-time and two part-time LPNs for the night shift.
Now, the facility will have two full-time and part-time RNs for that shift.
The change will allow the RNs to handle responsibilities and services that the LPNs had to rely on the supervisors for because LPNs are not legally able to do according to state nursing laws.
Hoffman pointed to an example of a fallen resident. While both levels of nurses can assist them, only the registered nurse can assess the resident to see if they need extra care. The LPN had to get a registered nurse, for example the nursing supervisor, to evaluate the resident's condition.
“It's also a quality-of-care issue,” Hoffman said, adding the RNs will be able to provide a higher level of care to residents and there will be the same number of nurses.
The full-time nursing supervisor is transferring to the emergency room, having already expressed her interest before the change. The part-time worker will fill one of the part-time RN position created by the new policy.
Hospital officials will continue to examine the institution for ways of providing the same care at a decreased cost, something most organizations should do on a regular basis, Hoffman said.
Auburn Memorial Hospital petitioned for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April to reduce and restructure $20 million in debt with the goal of freeing up its cash flow for capital investment. Officials said the move helped them avoid closing the facility, its clinics in Auburn and Skaneateles or the Finger Lakes Center for Living, and employee layoffs.
“We're always, as a responsible organization, looking how to cut costs while keeping the same quality of care. In this case, we're saving money and improving the quality of care,” Hoffman said.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
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