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Quest Training

Nurse Staffing, Scheduling & Workforce Planning Training Course

Balances nurse availability, patient demand, acuity and skill mix to plan safe staffing levels, build shift schedules and manage workforce capacity.

HAM · Hospital Administration & Healthcare ManagementAll Levels#2610ClassroomEnglish , Arabic
Duration
5 Days
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Free substitution at any time · 30+ days' notice: full refund minus 10%. Cancellation policy

Sectors:Healthcare & Hospital ManagementCategories:Hospital Administration & Healthcare Management

Course Overview

This advanced programme provides a practical framework for managing nursing workforce requirements, staffing levels, shift scheduling, and workforce capacity in healthcare organisations. It focuses on aligning nurse availability, patient demand, clinical acuity, skill mix, and service requirements to achieve safe and efficient staffing. The programme examines workforce planning from operational and strategic perspectives, covering staffing models, workload analysis, staffing requirements, shift design, roster optimisation, leave management, overtime, agency utilisation, and contingency planning. Participants will develop practical approaches to balancing staffing demand with available resources while maintaining continuity of care, staff wellbeing, productivity, and patient safety. The programme also addresses common scheduling challenges such as shortages, absenteeism, peak demand, skill-mix gaps, and unexpected changes in patient volume. Through workforce calculations, scheduling exercises, case studies, and scenario-based planning, participants will build practical capabilities for developing sustainable nurse staffing and scheduling systems supported by meaningful workforce indicators.

Learning Objectives

  • Analyse nursing workforce requirements based on patient demand and service capacity.
  • Apply practical staffing models to determine appropriate nursing coverage.
  • Assess patient acuity, workload, skill mix, and operational requirements.
  • Develop effective nursing shift schedules and roster structures.
  • Balance staffing availability with clinical and operational demand.
  • Improve the allocation of nurses according to competency and service requirements.
  • Manage annual leave, absences, overtime, and staffing fluctuations effectively.
  • Evaluate the operational impact of vacancies, turnover, and absenteeism.
  • Develop contingency staffing approaches for unexpected demand and workforce shortages.
  • Use workforce indicators to monitor staffing efficiency and service performance.
  • Improve workforce utilisation while maintaining patient safety and staff wellbeing.
  • Develop integrated nursing workforce plans aligned with organisational priorities.

Who Should Attend

Nurse Managers and Nursing Directors Nurse Staffing and Workforce Planning Managers Nursing Supervisors and Unit Managers Charge Nurses and Clinical Coordinators Nurse Scheduling and Rostering Officers Workforce Planning and Human Resources Professionals Nursing Operations Managers Hospital and Healthcare Operations Managers Nursing Quality and Patient Safety Professionals Healthcare administrators responsible for workforce capacity Professionals involved in nursing staffing, scheduling, and resource allocation

Learning Outcomes

  • Calculate nursing staffing requirements using demand, workload, and service capacity information.
  • Analyse patient acuity and workload to support staffing decisions.
  • Develop appropriate staffing models for different clinical units and service patterns.
  • Design balanced and efficient nursing rosters.
  • Allocate staff according to competency, skill mix, workload, and patient-care requirements.
  • Identify and address staffing gaps, shortages, and coverage risks.
  • Manage leave, absenteeism, overtime, and temporary staffing requirements.
  • Evaluate the effect of workforce turnover and vacancies on service capacity.
  • Develop contingency staffing plans for fluctuating demand and unexpected shortages.
  • Use workforce KPIs to monitor staffing efficiency, utilisation, and stability.
  • Analyse scheduling and workforce data to support management decisions.
  • Develop a practical workforce plan that integrates staffing, scheduling, capacity, and service requirements.

Course Outline

Day 1

Nursing Workforce Planning & Staffing Requirements

  • Principles of nursing workforce planning
  • Strategic versus operational workforce planning
  • Linking staffing requirements to patient demand
  • Patient volume, acuity, dependency, and workload analysis
  • Nursing hours and workload measurement
  • Staffing ratios and their appropriate application
  • Skill mix and competency requirements
  • Full-time, part-time, and flexible workforce models
  • Identifying staffing gaps and capacity constraints
  • Workforce demand and supply analysis
  • Vacancy and turnover considerations
  • Practical Application: Develop a staffing requirement model for a selected nursing unit
Day 2

Nurse Scheduling, Rostering & Shift Management

  • Principles of effective nurse scheduling
  • Shift patterns and coverage requirements
  • Developing balanced nursing rosters
  • Matching staff availability with service demand
  • Skill-mix allocation across shifts
  • Managing day, evening, night, weekend, and holiday coverage
  • Leave planning and schedule constraints
  • Overtime and additional shift management
  • Fairness, workload distribution, and staff preferences
  • Managing last-minute changes and uncovered shifts
  • Common roster problems and corrective approaches
  • Practical Application: Build and evaluate a monthly nursing roster based on operational constraints
Day 3

Workforce Utilisation, Productivity & Staffing Efficiency

  • Measuring nursing workforce utilisation
  • Productive versus non-productive nursing hours
  • Workload distribution and staffing efficiency
  • Overtime, agency, temporary, and contract staffing
  • Absenteeism and its operational impact
  • Turnover and vacancy analysis
  • Workforce productivity indicators
  • Identifying overstaffing and understaffing patterns
  • Managing workload peaks and demand fluctuations
  • Balancing productivity with patient safety
  • Staff wellbeing, fatigue, and sustainable scheduling
  • Practical Application: Analyse workforce utilisation data and identify staffing efficiency opportunities
Day 4

Workforce Risk, Contingency Planning & Capacity Management

  • Identifying nursing workforce risks
  • Staffing shortages and critical coverage gaps
  • Scenario planning for demand fluctuations
  • Emergency and surge staffing
  • Contingency staffing models
  • Cross-training and flexible deployment of nurses
  • Managing unexpected absence and sudden workload increases
  • Business continuity considerations for nursing services
  • Workforce resilience and operational continuity
  • Escalation processes for critical staffing shortages
  • Developing workforce risk indicators
  • Practical Application: Create a contingency staffing plan for a high-demand or workforce shortage scenario
Day 5

Workforce Analytics, Forecasting & Integrated Workforce Planning

  • Nursing workforce KPIs and management dashboards
  • Staffing variance and schedule performance analysis
  • Forecasting future nursing workforce requirements
  • Demand forecasting and capacity planning
  • Linking workforce plans with service expansion
  • Recruitment and retention implications of workforce planning
  • Long-term workforce supply and capability requirements
  • Using workforce data for management decisions
  • Building sustainable staffing and scheduling processes
  • Governance and accountability for workforce planning
  • Continuous improvement of staffing models and rosters
  • Final Workshop: Develop an integrated Nurse Staffing, Scheduling & Workforce Plan covering demand analysis, staffing requirements, skill mix, roster design, workforce utilisation, risk management, forecasting, and performance monitoring.

Upcoming Dates

Selected date

Marrakesh · 1 – 5 Feb 2027 · Classroom

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CityDatesPrice per ParticipantEarly Bird
AbujaScheduled
2 – 6 Nov 2026€5,100—
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CasablancaScheduled
2 – 6 Nov 2026€4,300—
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DammamScheduled
9 – 13 Nov 2026€4,200—
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AmmanScheduled
15 – 19 Nov 2026€3,100—
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DohaScheduled
16 – 20 Nov 2026€4,400—
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DubaiScheduled
22 – 26 Nov 2026€4,400€3,960until 2 Nov
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GenevaScheduled
30 Nov – 4 Dec 2026€6,300€5,670until 9 Nov
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AmsterdamScheduled
7 – 11 Dec 2026€5,400€4,860until 16 Nov
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IstanbulScheduled
7 – 11 Dec 2026€4,700€4,230until 16 Nov
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Kuala LumpurScheduled
14 – 18 Dec 2026€4,400€3,960until 23 Nov
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BakuScheduled
21 – 25 Dec 2026€4,800€4,320until 30 Nov
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LisbonScheduled
21 – 25 Dec 2026€5,400€4,860until 30 Nov
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LondonScheduled
28 Dec 2026 – 1 Jan 2027€5,600€5,040until 7 Dec
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MadinahScheduled
4 – 8 Jan 2027€4,200€3,780until 14 Dec
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MadridScheduled
11 – 15 Jan 2027€5,400€4,860until 21 Dec
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BangkokScheduled
11 – 15 Jan 2027€6,100€5,490until 21 Dec
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MakkahScheduled
18 – 22 Jan 2027€4,200€3,780until 28 Dec
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ManamaScheduled
25 – 29 Jan 2027€4,700€4,230until 4 Jan
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BarcelonaScheduled
25 – 29 Jan 2027€5,400€4,860until 4 Jan
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MarbellaScheduled
1 – 5 Feb 2027€5,400€4,860until 11 Jan
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MarrakeshScheduled
1 – 5 Feb 2027€4,300€3,870until 11 Jan
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MilanScheduled
8 – 12 Feb 2027€6,000€5,400until 18 Jan
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BeirutScheduled
14 – 18 Feb 2027€4,000€3,600until 25 Jan
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MunichScheduled
15 – 19 Feb 2027€5,400€4,860until 25 Jan
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MuscatScheduled
22 – 26 Feb 2027€5,300€4,770until 1 Feb
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CairoScheduled
28 Feb – 4 Mar 2027€3,300€2,970until 8 Feb
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OnlineScheduled
28 Feb – 4 Mar 2027€1,700€1,530until 8 Feb
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ParisScheduled
8 – 12 Mar 2027€5,700€5,130until 15 Feb
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RomeScheduled
15 – 19 Mar 2027€5,800€5,220until 22 Feb
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RabatScheduled
15 – 19 Mar 2027€4,300€3,870until 22 Feb
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Available in: Istanbul · Dubai · London · Doha · Amsterdam

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