Description:
Access and Flow Leaders primarily facilitate the flow of patients in order to maximize patient throughput by placing the right patient into the right bed in the right time. The Access and Flow Leader identifies and addresses processes and or issues that may impede patient flow. This role acts as a resource to high risk patients who require co ordination and navigation through services to achieve outcomes consistent with best practice and assists the organization in achieving corporate, HCC and MOHLTC targets for access and flow outcomes.
Accountabilities:
- Functions as the primary facilitator of daily patient flow
- Provides direction and coordination of admissions, discharges and transfers and has knowledge of current bed availability across the entire hospital.
- Facilitates appropriate and timely transfers between units.
- In collaboration with the Admitting department, regularly reviews preferred accommodation bed requests and follows up with the units to ensure accommodations are achieved whenever possible.
- Coordinates and facilitates repatriation following established repatriation guidelines and communicates with resource Nurses regarding repatriation admissions
- Liaises with Critical Care, Paediatrics, Maternal Child, Mental Health and Addictions and other specialty areas that arrange their own repatriations and utilizes this information to make appropriate placement decisions.
- Provides direction to Admitting/Bed Clerk as needed to expedite bed assignments.
- Communicates with physicians/hospitalists related to patient placement and throughput issues as identified prior to or following the Bed Meeting
- Liaises with the Transitional Care Coordinators (TCC) and external health care providers, including Home and Community Care Coordinators, to proactively facilitate resource and opportunities to improve patient experience by reducing length of stay.
- Collaborates with TCC and Resource Nurses to facilitate timely discharges
- Collaborates with the Patient Care Units and Environmental Service Partners to prioritize cleaning of rooms based on need
- Conducts regular rounds in the Emergency Department (ED), to facilitate the smooth transition of potential and unscheduled admissions so that bed placements are timely.
- Conducts regular rounds on all nursing units to maintain visibility, continuously tracks and determines alternate options for bed placements to mitigate congestion in ED and other admitting sources
- Maintains overall cognizance of the current hospital activity level and the activity within 24 hours with consistent communication to all nursing unit contacts (Team Leaders, Resource Nurses and CSMs) and brings issues regarding their patients, units and flow to their attention as soon as possible
- Lead bed meetings twice on days, once on nights and as needed.
- Initiates “Bed Alerts”, as required and creates and sends electronic bed management updates
- Identifies pre-gridlock status and utilizes the Bed Allocation and Corporate Gridlock policies, to identify and develop appropriate strategies to prevent or mitigate gridlock.
- Provides coordination, supervision and leadership during all stages of gridlock.
- For shifts worked beyond the regular weekday shift, the following are additional key accountabilities and responsibilities:
- Walk-abouts– conducts ongoing rounds in all patient care areas and works with clinical and support service department to expedite issue resolution and optimize efficiency
- Resolving operational issues that have been escalated from the resource nurse/charge nurse
- Resolving patient complaints, staff and visitor issues that have been escalated from the resource nurse/charge nurse
- Develop and enhance staff leadership through coaching and support
- Coaches staff in the use of resources and protocols/policies to assist with decision making
- Help ensure a safe and risk adverse environment for patients and staff
- Optimize resource utilization (including staffing resources) within the organization, re-organizing staff where appropriate to ensure safe and efficient workflow
- Serves as a resource to the type of patient that each unit can accept and the level of care provided on each unit type
- Supports and acts as a resource for all hospital emergencies by enacting Emergency Preparedness policies and standard operating procedures
- Escalate issues to the administrative director on-call where appropriate
- Follow up with manager/directors on any relevant issues