Members of health care team from 4 South A, Health Sciences Centre, and from Integrated Capacity Management Provincial Clinical Efficiency team

Big changes are happening on a unit at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s, and the results are making a difference for both patients and staff. The unit, 4 South A Medicine/Nephrology, has become the first at the hospital to go completely paperless, thanks to a new digital system that makes scheduling, patient assignments and workload planning faster and easier.

 

Embracing a new way to work
For years, nurses and health-care providers at 4 South A filled out shift schedules, vacation slips and patient assignments by hand. It was a routine part of the job, but also time-consuming and not always convenient.

That changed in September 2024, when the team rolled out Web Scheduler, one of several applications in NL Health Services’ new Integrated Capacity Management (ICM) system. With Web Scheduler, staff can securely sign up for shifts, request vacation and get approvals online, right from their phones, tablets or home computers.

“At first, some people weren’t sure about giving up paper,” says Nancy Williams, registered nurse and patient care facilitator. “But once training started and staff saw the benefits, more than 90 per cent were using the new system within a week.”

The system is transforming the way staff manage their own schedules—bringing convenience and autonomy to the forefront. “Perhaps the most significant impact on staff is the ability to schedule shifts from anywhere with an Internet connection,” says Olivia Hussey, scheduler for medicine units “Staff receive an immediate email once their request is approved, and this is also viewable in real time online.”

 

Making care safer and smarter
The shift to digital hasn’t just made scheduling easier. Other tools, like Acuity and Assignment Manager (AAM), are helping document patient status, and balance nursing workload and patient assignments more fairly across the unit. By tracking the level of care each patient needs, the system supports managers in making safe, equitable assignments, and ensures that staff have the right amount of time for each patient.

Using AAM helps to create equitable staffing assignments, seamlessly managing workload imbalances, and assuring proper staffing ratios. “In the past, we used paper assignment sheets. Now, we can update everything online and even review past records to support continuity of care and enriched quality patient care,” says Jessica Hunt, ICM manager. “That means more consistent staffing and strong patient care.”

These benefits are echoed by Tiffany Murphy, ICM departmental coordinator for acute care, “patient data is available in real-time, enabling faster scheduling and task assignment. Our staff can focus more on care rather than paperwork.”

In addition to improving how information is accessed and shared, the digital system also keeps information secure and accessible. Back-up features reduce the risk of lost files, while the move away from paper supports sustainability goals by cutting down on waste.

 

More time for what matters

 

For staff, the biggest benefit is time. “Thanks to the new scheduling system, I can manage my shifts from home,” says Sheree Baker, registered nurse for nephrology and respirology. “It makes balancing work and personal life easier, and during shifts, I spend less time on paperwork and more time caring for patients.”

The transition to the ICM system has identified new processes and procedures designed to improve efficiency, strengthen staff satisfaction, and enable more agile, efficient care delivery without paper forms.

Leaders say that’s exactly the point. “Going paperless isn’t just about technology,” says Ron Corcoran, provincial director of clinical efficiency. “It’s about embracing innovation to support work-life balance and helping staff focus on what they do best—delivering quality care and improving the overall patient experience.”

 

Looking ahead
The success of 4 South A is only the beginning. Plans are already in motion to expand the paperless system to other units at the Health Sciences Centre by the end of the year, including 4 North A and 4 South B in September. And by Spring 2026, when the province’s new health information system CorCare launches, patient records will be fully digital.

Together, these systems will work side by side, with new pathways being built to integrate them. Over time, the integration of CorCare and ICM will give staff an even stronger set of tools to deliver care efficiently, fairly and with patients at the centre.

For the staff of 4 South A, the change has already shown its value. By trading in paper for digital tools, they’re creating a workplace that’s more efficient, more flexible and better equipped to put patients first.

 

This story was written by Corrie Rowe, provincial manager of employee communications and engagement with NL Health Services, based in Conception Bay South.