Visual management of nursing schedules for workforce balancing and reduction of overtime coverage
a longitudinal quality improvement study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37951/2675-5009.2026v7i20.200Keywords:
Nursing staff, Hospital, Quality improvement, Absenteeism, Hospital costs, Efficiency organizational, Hospital administrationAbstract
Objective: To evaluate the association between implementation of a visual nursing schedule management system and changes in overtime coverage, personnel costs, and indicators of care demand and workforce allocation.
Methods: A longitudinal quality improvement study was conducted in a private tertiary hospital in Midwestern Brazil. August 2025 was defined as the baseline period. The intervention began in September 2025 and was followed through May 2026. The system integrated schedules, absenteeism, hospital occupancy, staff redeployment, open positions, turnover, overtime coverage, and costs. Monthly descriptive measures were analyzed for a workforce comprising 132 nursing technicians and 28 registered nurses.
Results: Overtime coverage decreased from 143 events at baseline to a post-implementation monthly mean of 23.4, an 83.6% reduction. Monthly costs decreased from BRL 32,693.00 to a mean of BRL 6,071.42, an 81.4% reduction. Hospital occupancy remained high, with a post-implementation mean of 82.27%. During the same period, weighted absenteeism was 1.37% and the mean staff redeployment rate was 3.39%.
Conclusions: Implementation of visual management was associated with sustained reductions in overtime coverage and related costs without a reduction in care demand. The findings suggest that greater operational visibility and structured staff redeployment may improve hospital workforce balancing.
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