AI-driven predictive nurse scheduling

By automating routine tasks and providing data-driven scheduling adjustments, teams can reduce manager burnout and improve productivity.

Nursing manager roles are often amongst the highest burnout rates and also have a direct correlation with the well-being of their staff (1). What if we could reduce the hours our nursing leaders spend on “scheduling and staffing”? That time could go back into supporting their team and patient care, enhancing not just the nurse manager’s well-being but their entire team’s. The most powerful way to accomplish this is through predicting the expected census for a specific shift, incorporating the clinical workload required. Many systems address the current census and workload today – but what if this could be precisely predicted days in advance? In-House Health developed an AI tool that does just that, reducing the administrative burden of staffing and scheduling on our leaders.

In this case study from an In-House Health-supported Orthopedic unit, the nursing leader manages to reach 57% of shifts being optimally staffed using the limited information (and time) they have today. The limitation of our current tools, results in nursing often “padding” the  schedule which creates even more rework in the future (see our previous post about it). Using the In-House Health predictive AI model to estimate future census and workload days ahead, the same nursing leader was able to make more informed decisions and perfectly staff 87% of shifts while reducing the total number of shifts needed by up to 10%. The prediction model provides precise estimates 1-3 weeks ahead of shift, allowing nursing leaders to finalize clinically accurate schedules much earlier. Using additional data insights such as adding in the ability to predict “nursing workload” during that time, allows for an even more accurate picture of what the unit staffing needs are for delivering safe care.

Using AI to streamline administrative tasks is one of the most compelling applications of this technology, particularly in addressing the complexities of nurse scheduling which is directly contributing to the clinical burnout we are seeing today. By using AI to solve nurse scheduling, we can reduce a burdensome task which wreaks havoc on all levels of a nursing organization (from bedside to executive).  A proven predictive model which allows our leaders to use trustworthy data to make better decisions enhances the overall nursing experience for all levels of staff and allows nursing teams to focus on the things that matter – patients!