Nurses within the NHS and healthcare facilities, aim to prioritise patient care and experience. However, the lack of effective automated inventory management technology can often take away valuable time from staff, holding them back from their main responsibilities. This can also put a strain on their colleagues and department. With a significant increase in patient demand over the years, it is important to allow your team to prioritise their patients while not having to worry about mundane stock management tasks. If it is necessary for them to manage some inventory, having an automated system in place will provide significant help by reducing costs and time. Offering relevant training on this will also help your staff to feel valued and appreciated. Healthcare decision makers should aim to reduce operational hurdles and ensure nursing staff have access to necessary supplies, so they can provide timely and effective care. This will in turn encourage them to remain engaged and passionate about their work.
The role of head nurses often entails a lot of responsibility for inventory, including knowing what supplies are available, medication expiration dates, the whereabouts of equipment, and who has permission to use it and who is accountable for it. If stock issues or insufficient levels arise as a problem within healthcare facilities, other members of staff can often feel the burden of this and may have to carry out tasks that take them away from their main responsibilities. A study of hospital supply chains found that nurses spend 14% of their time having to work around operational issues when equipment and supplies they require are not on hand (Tucker, A.L. et al, 2014). Automated inventory management software would assist in all of this and aid processes.
Barcode or radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is used alongside an inventory management software to track medical supplies and patient information, which allows for reliable data capture. Our own StockAssist Medical provides a modern technology that is easy to use and time efficient. This is the perfect solution for healthcare staff as it enables accurate data input with minimal effort, saving time and allowing for patient care to be the number one priority.
The benefits to your team
Enhance productivity– With a solution in place that is simple to use, your staff will be more inclined to keep on top of things like stock levels and expiry dates.
Increase time efficiency– Manually inputting data and keeping track of stock can be a cumbersome task. Having a software solution in place will save staff a lot of time as they will no longer have to carry out these manual processes. This time can then be spent on more important things, like patient care.
Improve accuracy– An automated software solution tracks inventory data in real time and removes the need for spreadsheets or paper trails. This significantly reduces the risk of data inaccuracy as there is less chance of human error, thus taking some pressure off staff. It also ensures there is no miscommunication between staff or departments with regards to stock updates.
Boost staff morale– Having the time to get on with tasks they enjoy and the job they signed up to do will provide job satisfaction to your team and offer them a better work environment.
Ease the workload– An automated system will mean less pressure on staff to ensure data input is accurate, and they will have one less thing to worry about.
StockAssist Medical offers a real time view of inventory. Using barcode and RFID technology, inventory can be scanned in and out or reordered in a matter of seconds. From scanning things such as medication to patient wristbands, blood bags and much more, StockAssist Medical software has been trialed, tested and approved for use. The GS1 approved software is currently being used throughout an NHS pathology department, and plans are underway to implement the solution in other areas within the department. This will enable all processes to be streamlined and will allow for visibility and consistency throughout. To find out more about our StockAssist Medical solution, visit our website: Stock management control for medical & dental products (kmsoft.co.uk)
