HJAR Jul/Aug 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JUL / AUG 2023 59 Stephanie C. Whitaker, MSN, RN Chief Nursing Officer Mercy Health System, Fort Smith Communities IN late 2021, Mercy redesigned its staff- ing system with the intent to fill shifts left empty by the high turnover of nursing staff with gig workers who want to determine their own schedule. If a core co-worker opts out of a shift, the organization will of- fer it to gig workers.These nurses are excit- ed by the prospect of being a gig-employed worker at Mercy, not having to work every day, and having the ability to pick up shifts via a custom app. They can work at other hospitals or other jobs, and the program is based on when they want to work and who they want to work with. This innovative approach was the vison of Senior Vice President and System Chief Nursing Officer Betty Jo Rocchio, DNP, RN, CRNA, CENP, EBP-C. She and the Mercy nursing leadership team wanted to create a strategy and execution of new ways of thinking about their workforce with dif- ferent hours. Shorter shifts are especially appealing to working parents who have caregiving responsibilities and would pre- fer not to work a typical 12-hour nursing shift. Instead, they might work a 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift or an 8 a.m. to noon shift or a 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift, allowing them to drop their kids off at the bus and be home when they get back from school on the bus. Through this Uber-inspired model, Mercy has recruited 3,800 applicants and hired more than 1,200 nurses. The appeal is for nurses who are looking for schedules that match their lifestyles. We are able to attract talent and give them the flexibility they need. This app and online platform is called “Mercy Works on Demand.” Gig workers go through the same inter- view process that a full-time Mercy em- ployee does to make sure they are a fit for the organization. Bringing gig workers to the team creates a different combination of players on the field, but Mercy’s inno- vative approach and the “Mercy Works on Demand” platform leverages strengths among the permanent and transient work- force. Overall, the addition of this flexible workforce layer of gig nurses has driven an increased fill rate by 5%, decreased labor costs with a $22 million lower premium la- bor spend, and increased total headcount, while rolling 12 turnover decreased by 8%, and first-year turnover decreased by 12%. The success of this program is attributed to placing more hands at the bedside, tech- nology to power the shift pickup, andmath in the background to help decide on shift pricing. It is decreasing workload across all of nursing, and that impacts all clinical co-workers and patients. So, when our gig nurses come into Mercy, they are experi- encing a decreased workload they do not get in other environments. That is a win for our co-workers and patients! n Stephanie C. Whitaker, MSN, RN, earned a Master of Science in nursing leadership and administration from Western Governors University. She currently serves as the chief nursing officer for Mercy Health in Fort Smith. Stephanie started her nursing career in Asheville, North Carolina, and has held various critical care bedside and progressive leadership positions in acute care hospitals and public health. Since relocating to Arkansas more than eight years ago, her executive roles have focused on optimizing healthcare operations,nurse recruitment,employee engagement,and nursing professional development. As a boardmember of theArkansas NursesAssocia- tion,she hopes to continue to use her skills to support and promote the needs of nurses in Arkansas. “The success of this program is attributed to placing more hands at the bedside, technology to power the shift pickup, and math in the background to help decide on shift pricing. It is decreasing workload across all of nursing, and that impacts all clinical co-workers and patients.”