Employee Burnout is Rapidly Increasing. Here's How You Can Help

Hospital Employee Burnout

Employee burnout has become a pressing issue in many industries, including healthcare. With the ever-increasing demands and responsibilities placed on healthcare professionals, it is no wonder that they often grow tired and experience burnout. Some of the major contributing factors are:

• The excessive amount of time spent searching for assets.
  
• Physical and mental exhaustion.
• Reduced efficacy in the workplace.¹

On top of these already draining problems, the healthcare industry is experiencing worker shortages, making the existing troubles feel even more prominent.

Workforce Shortage

The current workforce shortage the healthcare industry is experiencing is so severe that financial challenges ranked second and marks the first time since 2004² that it hasn't been the top ranking issue. Because the workforce is spread so thin, hospitals have to be more diligent in making sure they're effectively making the most of their limited personnel and financial resources. While doing what they can to reduce the burden placed on active staff, the shortage leans into another prevalent issue within the healthcare field: reduced productivity.

Reduced Productivity

Employee burnout and the general workforce shortage combine together and significantly impact staff productivity. With the staff already being physically and mentally tired, the thought of remembering where they last left medical equipment or having to search around for it can seem daunting, especially when they already have so many other pressing tasks to complete, such as medical records and checking in on patients. Because of this, nurses have turned to stashing equipment away so they know where it is and can be ready to go as necessary³. To reduce the likeliness of this happening, hospitals can implement an asset tracking system to help manage the locations and information of their assets.

The Solution: Asset Tracking

Hospitals looking to significantly reduce time spent looking for assets are turning to innovative solutions such as asset tracking systems. These advanced technologies provide near real-time tracking through the use of passive RFID and handheld scanners. Asset tracking streamlines and optimizes the search process, giving hospitals the chance to make the most of their limited personnel and financial resources while alleviating some of the challenges associated with employee burnout, workforce shortages, and reduced productivity, ensuring that patient care remains top priority.

Some of the main benefits of asset tracking are:

• Locating essential assets and medical devices within the healthcare facility.
  
• Contributing to improved patient safety with easy access to last known locations of necessary items.
• Reducing the hours wasted searching.

These benefits grant healthcare providers the ability to respond promptly to emergencies and avoid potential errors and delays in treatment, enhancing patient results and creating a sense of trust in the healthcare system.

How Pycube Can Help

Pycube's asset tracking solution contains all of these previously mentioned benefits, as well as advanced analytics about the asset lifecycle, such as preventative maintenance and how often an asset is used. The solution has a quick setup and can be fully operational in about a week. Once set up, an employee will take a handheld scanner and scan around, logging all assets it passes, logging its location into the system, setting the team up for success next time they need to find something.

The implementation of Pycube's asset tracking system is impactful. Not only does it assist in reducing employee burnout and staff shortages by minimizing the time spent searching for items, but it also contributes to improved patient safety, quality of care, and effective resource management. As healthcare organizations strive to navigate the challenges of 2023 and beyond, embracing innovative solutions like asset tracking is crucial for a sustainable and resilient healthcare system.

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