MANAGING CONCURRENT BREAKS
Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for managing a concurrent break. An example method includes selecting one or more first clinicians to take a concurrent break. The example method can identify a total pool of patients that need to be covered and select one or more second clinicians that have a set of break coverage attributes. The method can assign one or more of the total pool of patients to each of the selected second clinicians while complying with their respective break coverage attributes. Once all patients are covered, the selected first clinicians can be notified of the patients that they are assigned to cover during the concurrent break.
1 . A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a non-volatile, machine-readable memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising instructions that, when loaded into the processor and executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute steps of:
retrieving, from a staff management computer system, a work schedule for a set of clinicians currently working in a common care area;
selecting two or more first clinicians (FCs) from the set of clinicians to take a concurrent break;
identifying a total pool of patients currently assigned to the FCs;
retrieving, from a dynamic attribute computer database, break coverage attributes respectively associated with a portion of the set of clinicians;
retrieving, from a task and attribute management computer system, break rules;
selecting one or more second clinicians (SCs) from the portion of the set of clinicians based in part on an evaluation of the break coverage attributes and the break rules; and
assigning one or more of the total pool of patients to each of the selected SCs while complying with their respective break coverage attributes.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a remaining pool of patients by removing the patients assigned to the selected SCs from the total pool of patients; and
notifying, if the number of patients in the remaining pool of patients is zero, the selected FCs to go on the concurrent break and the selected SCs of the patients that they are respectively assigned to cover during the concurrent break.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the break coverage attributes comprise one or more of:
a maximum patient-staff ratio;
a first maximum patient acuity;
a first maximum number of patients having an acuity that is less than or equal to a first threshold acuity;
a maximum aggregate patient acuity;
a maximum distance between assigned patients;
a first maximum number of tasks to be completed during the concurrent break; and
a Do Not Disturb (DND) status.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the break coverage attributes further comprises a second maximum number of patients having a second acuity that is lower than the first acuity; and
the second maximum number of patients is greater than or equal to the first maximum number of patients.
5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the one or more SCs comprise a Break Nurse (BN) having respective break coverage attributes; and
the step of assigning one or more of the total pool of patients to each of the selected SCs comprises first assigning patients to the BN up to the BN's maximum patient-staff ratio then assigning patients to the other SCs.
6 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
identifying, if the number of patients in the remaining pool of patients is greater than zero, a Charge Nurse (CN) who is able to cover at least one of the total pool of patients, the CN having respective break coverage attributes; and
assigning one or more of the total pool of patients to the CN and then executing the step of assigning one or more of the total pool of patients to each of the selected SCs;
wherein:
determining the remaining pool of patients comprises removing the patients assigned to the CN from the total pool of patients; and
notifying the one or more FCs comprises notifying the CN of the patients that the CN is assigned to cover during the concurrent break.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the break coverage attributes of the CN comprise a second maximum number of tasks to be completed during the concurrent break if an assistant is assigned to the CN; and
the second maximum number of tasks is greater than the first maximum number of tasks.
8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
notifying, if the number of patients in the remaining pool of patients is greater than zero, a supervisor that the selected FCs cannot take a concurrent break due to lack of available coverage.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
retrieving a work schedule comprises retrieving work schedule information from a staff management system;
retrieving break coverage attributes comprises retrieving break coverage attribute information from a staff management system; and
retrieving break rules comprises retrieving break rule information from a hospital policies system.
10 . A non-volatile, machine-readable memory comprising instructions that, when loaded into a processor and executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute steps:
retrieving, from a staff management computer system, a work schedule for a set of clinicians currently working in a common care area;
selecting two or more first clinicians (FCs) from the set of clinicians to take a concurrent break;
identifying a total pool of patients currently assigned to the FCs;
retrieving, from a dynamic attribute computer database, break coverage attributes respectively associated with a portion of the set of clinicians;
retrieving, from a task and attribute management computer system, break rules;
selecting one or more second clinicians (SCs) from the portion of the set of clinicians based in part on an evaluation of the break coverage attributes and the break rules; and
assigning one or more of the total pool of patients to each of the selected SCs while complying with their respective break coverage attributes.
11 . A method, comprising steps:
retrieving, from a staff management computer system, a work schedule for a set of clinicians currently working in a common care area;
selecting two or more first clinicians (FCs) from the set of clinicians to take a concurrent break;
identifying a total pool of patients currently assigned to the FCs;
retrieving, from a dynamic attribute computer database, break coverage attributes respectively associated with a portion of the set of clinicians;
retrieving, from a task and attribute management computer system, break rules;
selecting one or more second clinicians (SCs) from the portion of the set of clinicians based in part on an evaluation of the break coverage attributes and the break rules; and
assigning one or more of the total pool of patients to each of the selected SCs while complying with their respective break coverage attributes.