Affiliations

Flexible Staffing Services, System Internal Agency

Presentation Notes

Professional Development poster presentation at Empowering Nursing Excellence: Recognizing the Value and Impact of Nurses, Advocate Health Midwest Region Nursing Research & Professional Development Conference 2023; November 15, 2023; virtual.

Abstract

Background/Introduction:

The Advocate Aurora Health Internal Agency needed an efficient way to assess teammates clinical knowledge to rapidly hire nurses into our internal travel pool. Advocate Aurora requires new teammates to complete orientation skills checklists upon hire. These checklists take many hours to complete, and several original checklists could not be retrieved. We also needed a way to assess pre-hire candidates to ensure they were clinically skilled.

Purpose or Objective:

Utilize a validated tool to assess traveler nurse knowledge prior to hire/contract/acceptance to internal agency. The goal of the tool is to efficiently evaluate level of expertise, and immediately transition to employment.

Method or Evaluation:

System nursing leaders partnered with a vendor to address this issue. Mirroring external agency processes, we utilized an electronic method which included knowledge, skills, and critical thinking assessments. Teammates who scored above the national benchmark were considered competent and offered a position in the department.

Results or Findings:

The electronic knowledge assessment averaged three hours to complete versus a paper checklist that can take twelve hours or more. Utilizing this strategy, orientation hours and cost were saved by avoiding the completion of a paper checklist alongside a dedicated preceptor. Nurses transitioned off orientation after one day. Based on the high hourly rate of agency averaging $80 per hour, the cost avoidance in a six-month pilot for forty-two teammates or potential candidates hired was $37,440. The future cost avoidance for one hundred applications annually is estimated to be $86,000.

Sixteen teammates completed a subjective survey. Of the completed surveys, 100% agreed it was positive experience with ease of use and 81% felt it was a good assessment of their clinical skill preferring the electronic assessment over paper.

Conclusions/Implications for Practice:

Electronic tools provide a consistent approach to clinical knowledge assessment. Utilizing this provides cost savings from the manual paper process.

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

11-15-2023


 

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Nov 15th, 12:00 AM

Assessing internal travel nurses clinical knowledge: A modern, electronic approach to staffing readiness

Background/Introduction:

The Advocate Aurora Health Internal Agency needed an efficient way to assess teammates clinical knowledge to rapidly hire nurses into our internal travel pool. Advocate Aurora requires new teammates to complete orientation skills checklists upon hire. These checklists take many hours to complete, and several original checklists could not be retrieved. We also needed a way to assess pre-hire candidates to ensure they were clinically skilled.

Purpose or Objective:

Utilize a validated tool to assess traveler nurse knowledge prior to hire/contract/acceptance to internal agency. The goal of the tool is to efficiently evaluate level of expertise, and immediately transition to employment.

Method or Evaluation:

System nursing leaders partnered with a vendor to address this issue. Mirroring external agency processes, we utilized an electronic method which included knowledge, skills, and critical thinking assessments. Teammates who scored above the national benchmark were considered competent and offered a position in the department.

Results or Findings:

The electronic knowledge assessment averaged three hours to complete versus a paper checklist that can take twelve hours or more. Utilizing this strategy, orientation hours and cost were saved by avoiding the completion of a paper checklist alongside a dedicated preceptor. Nurses transitioned off orientation after one day. Based on the high hourly rate of agency averaging $80 per hour, the cost avoidance in a six-month pilot for forty-two teammates or potential candidates hired was $37,440. The future cost avoidance for one hundred applications annually is estimated to be $86,000.

Sixteen teammates completed a subjective survey. Of the completed surveys, 100% agreed it was positive experience with ease of use and 81% felt it was a good assessment of their clinical skill preferring the electronic assessment over paper.

Conclusions/Implications for Practice:

Electronic tools provide a consistent approach to clinical knowledge assessment. Utilizing this provides cost savings from the manual paper process.

 

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