From Skepticism to Success: How Inova Maintained 152% Patient Hour Growth and Happier Nurses During Staffing Constraints

Facing severe understaffing at Inova Adult Infusion, leadership needed to maintain the same patient volumes with fewer nurses—but the proposed solution, Nurse Pull scheduling, met understandable skepticism from frontline staff. This session reveals how Senior Director Monica Cfarku navigated legitimate concerns and partnered with Practice Manager Tricila Ronquilo to successfully implement a new staffing model.

Learn strategies for managing change through collaboration, the operational approach that allowed them to safely treat patients despite critical shortages, and the transformation in nurse satisfaction. Discover how nurses went from “will this really work?” to leaving on time, handling add-ons smoothly, and feeling more in control—all while the unit sustained the 152% growth they’d achieved with iQueue scheduling templates.

Key Takeaways

• From Skepticism to Champions: Proven approaches for building trust and turning hesitant staff into advocates when implementing operational change.
• Safe volume with fewer hands: How Nurse Pull scheduling enabled Inova to maintain full patient access during severe understaffing without compromising safety or quality.
• The happiness ROI: Real impacts on nurse satisfaction—leaving on time, less pre-shift stress, better control during emergencies, and renewed enthusiasm for their work