Authors (including presenting author) :
Ling KS, Mak NS, Yuen YC, Wong SLI, Wong GZ, Wong HK, San J
Affiliation :
Department of Medicine, Tseung Kwan O Hospital
Introduction :
The five-day work duty pattern has been successfully implemented in medical wards for a year. Meanwhile, nurses are looking for optimizing the new shift schedule. Therefore, a pilot study of flexible duty has been designed to enhance the manpower utilization and ease the workload at the peak hours by extending the overlapping interval between shifts. Besides, by providing various alternative duty patterns, nurses might accommodate their life with their job easily. As a result, Work-Life-Balance can be promoted.
In addition, as digital technologies become increasingly familiar in SMART living, the QR code duty request is worthwhile to put into trial use.
Objectives :
1. To study the feasibility and effects of carrying out flexible duty hour at AM & PM shift schedule.
2. To start a trial run and facilitate the QR code duty request.
Methodology :
As of 9th December, 2019, a pilot study of flexible duty hour was conducted in an acute medical ward for 4 weeks. Some modified AM/ PM duties have been created during the pilot period. Moreover, the QR code duty request via google form have been implemented together with the traditional paper form. In the meantime, all ward nurses were surveyed at the pre & post pilot study.
Result & Outcome :
Participation
There were total of 71 flexible duty requests. Two of the requests were rejected under the in-house rules and two days of sick leave were reported. Consequently, the pilot study got about (67/69) 97% participation.
Pre & Post Questionnaire
Some significant findings were collected from the pre & post questionnaire. Firstly, there was an increasing trend of staff interest rate and most of the staff (20/25, 80%) ascertained the feasibility of flexible duty hour at pre and post pilot study. Secondly, 72% of staff agreed that the flexible duty hours were able to facilitate ward operation. Finally, 13 participants (13/17, 72%) could be sure of the Work-Life-Balance improvement.
Request Method
Although the QR code duty request was a user friendly online approach, more than half of the participants still continued to use the traditional paper form.
