Surgical Directions Introduces Merlin Nurse Staffing Module: Revolutionizing OR Staffing with Predictive Analytics

CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Surgical Directions, a leading provider of perioperative and anesthesia consulting and technology services, proudly announces the launch of the Merlin Nurse Staffing module. Developed to address the critical issues of nurse staffing and burnout in surgical services, this innovative tool promises to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve staff satisfaction.

“Post-COVID, nurses are burned out. Scheduling fluctuations and unpredictable hours create strain on an already exhausted workforce,” said Michael Besedick, Managing Director of Product at Surgical Directions. “The Merlin Nurse Staffing module leverages advanced predictive analytics to provide real-time, actionable insights that help hospitals optimize their staffing levels and improve operational efficiency.”

Key Benefits of the Merlin Nurse Staffing Module:

1. Enhanced Transparency and Predictability: The module offers a clear view of staffing needs, allowing for accurate forecasting and proactive adjustments to meet changing demands.
2. Reduced Staffing Costs: By optimizing staff allocation, the tool can help hospitals decrease reliance on costly traveler nurses and unnecessary overtime expenses, potentially saving 10% or more in staffing costs annually.
3. Improved Staff Retention and Satisfaction: The predictive capabilities of the module enable better work-life balance for nursing staff by reducing last-minute schedule changes and ensuring more predictable shift patterns.
4. Ease of Use: The intuitive interface allows hospital administrators to make informed staffing decisions without needing extensive technical expertise, promoting autonomy and efficiency in daily operations.

“Traditionally, managing OR staffing has been a manual and labor-intensive process, often leading to inefficiencies and staff burnout,” explained Barbara McClenathan, Vice President of Nursing at Surgical Directions, RN, BSN, MBA-HCM, CNOR. McClenathan, also a former Director of Perioperative Services and a former OR nurse went on to say, “The Merlin Nurse Staffing module revolutionizes this process by automating staffing predictions based on historical data and real-time analytics, ensuring the right staff are in the right place at the right time.”

Addressing Industry Challenges
The healthcare industry has faced significant challenges in maintaining optimal nurse staffing levels, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing preference for locum tenens roles among clinicians. This has resulted in financial strains and operational inefficiencies for many hospitals. The Merlin Nurse Staffing module is designed to mitigate these challenges by providing:

• Dynamic Shift Modeling: The tool adjusts staffing models based on real-time data, ensuring that hospitals can adapt quickly to changes in surgical schedules and patient needs.
• Comprehensive Data Integration: By incorporating industry benchmarks and facility-specific data, the module offers a holistic view of staffing requirements, including indirect staff and variable roles such as surgical first assistants and nurse practitioners.

ABOUT SURGICAL DIRECTIONS
Surgical Directions is a healthcare solutions company that has partnered with over 500 health systems, provider groups and ASCs. We collaborate to improve perioperative, procedural and anesthesia services. Surgical Directions helps clients enhance profitably and growth through consulting and workforce solutions powered by their proprietary software, Merlin^tm. Our peer-to-peer leadership, clinical process expertise and predictive analytics help healthcare organizations tackle critical issues. Our clients achieve improvements in financial performance, culture, engagement, access and, most importantly, patient care. Additional information is available at www.surgicaldirections.com.

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SOURCE Surgical Directions