Creating Assignments

🔒Requires permission: Assignments.Create

AdminScheduler

Assignments can be created manually through the the platform interface or in bulk via CSV import. This guide covers both methods, including all required fields, validation rules, and best practices.

Prerequisites

Before creating an assignment, ensure the following:

1. The event exists and has facilities, units, and shift types configured.
2. The caregiver is a candidate in the event with a status of Confirmed or later.
3. You have the Assignments.Create permission (Admin and Scheduler roles have this by default).

caution

You cannot create an assignment for a candidate in Imported, Contacted, Declined, or Removed status. The candidate must be Confirmed, Arrived, Working, or Completed.

Creating Assignments Manually

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Navigate to Events in the left sidebar.
2. Select the event.
3. Click the Assignments tab.
4. Click the Create Assignment button in the top-right corner.
5. The assignment creation form opens. Complete all required fields:

Assignment Form Fields

Field	Required	Description	Validation
Caregiver	Yes	Search and select a caregiver from the event's confirmed candidates. Type to search by name or BlueSky ID.	Must be a confirmed candidate in the event.
Facility	Yes	Select the facility where the caregiver will work.	Must be a facility configured for the event.
Unit	Yes	Select the unit/department within the facility. The dropdown populates based on the selected facility.	Must be a unit belonging to the selected facility.
Specialty	Yes	Select the clinical specialty for this assignment. Defaults to the caregiver's primary specialty.	Must be a valid specialty.
Shift Type	Yes	Select Day, Night, Evening, or Rotating.	Must match an available shift type for the unit.
Start Date	Yes	The first day of the assignment.	Must fall within the event's date range. Cannot be in the past (unless Admin).
End Date	Yes	The last day of the assignment.	Must be on or after the start date. Must fall within the event's date range.
Status	Yes	Select Draft or Scheduled. Defaults to Draft.	Draft or Scheduled only (Active and Completed are set automatically).
Notes	No	Free-text notes about the assignment.	Max 500 characters.

6. Click Save as Draft to save without notifying the caregiver, or Save and Schedule to save and move to Scheduled status.

Credential Validation

When you select a caregiver, the system automatically checks their credentials against the assignment's requirements:

Check	Result if Failed
Nursing License	Warning: "Caregiver's nursing license expires before the assignment end date."
BLS Certification	Warning: "BLS certification is expired or missing."
State License	Warning: "Caregiver does not hold a license in the event's state."
DNR Status	Blocked: "Caregiver is flagged as DNR and cannot be assigned."

Warnings allow you to proceed (with acknowledgment), but a DNR flag blocks assignment creation entirely.

Conflict Detection

The system checks for scheduling conflicts when creating an assignment:

Conflict Type	Description	Resolution
Overlapping Assignment	The caregiver already has an assignment at another facility/unit for overlapping dates.	Warning displayed. You can proceed if the shifts do not actually overlap (e.g., Day at one unit, Night at another).
Double-booked Shift	The caregiver has the same shift type at the same dates in another assignment.	Blocked. Resolve the conflict before proceeding.
Exceeds Max Hours	Adding this assignment would put the caregiver over the maximum weekly hours (configurable per event).	Warning displayed. Admin can override.

Creating Multiple Assignments for One Caregiver

A caregiver can have multiple assignments in the same event. Common scenarios include:

• Split assignments: Working at one unit for the first week and a different unit for the second week.
• Dual-shift assignments: Working Day shift at one unit and Night shift at another (on different days).
• Facility transfers: Reassigned from one facility to another mid-event.

To create additional assignments, follow the same steps above. The system will flag potential conflicts but will not prevent valid multi-assignment scenarios.

Creating Assignments via CSV Import

For large events, creating assignments one at a time is impractical. The CSV import feature allows you to create dozens or hundreds of assignments in a single operation.

Step 1: Download the Template

1. Navigate to the event's Assignments tab.
2. Click the Import dropdown.
3. Select Download Template.
4. A CSV template file downloads with the required column headers.

Step 2: Populate the Template

Open the template in a spreadsheet application and fill in one row per assignment:

Column	Header	Required	Format	Example
A	bluesky_id	Yes	Numeric BlueSky ID	12345
B	facility_name	Yes	Exact facility name as configured in the event	Memorial Hospital
C	unit_name	Yes	Exact unit name	ICU
D	specialty	Yes	Specialty code	RN
E	shift_type	Yes	Day, Night, Evening, or Rotating	Day
F	start_date	Yes	YYYY-MM-DD	2026-03-15
G	end_date	Yes	YYYY-MM-DD	2026-03-22
H	status	No	Draft or Scheduled (defaults to Draft)	Draft
I	notes	No	Free text	Prefers west wing

Example CSV content:

bluesky_id,facility_name,unit_name,specialty,shift_type,start_date,end_date,status,notes
12345,Memorial Hospital,ICU,RN,Day,2026-03-15,2026-03-22,Scheduled,
12346,Memorial Hospital,Med/Surg,LPN,Night,2026-03-15,2026-03-22,Draft,
12347,Memorial Hospital,ER,RN,Day,2026-03-15,2026-03-22,Scheduled,Has ACLS
12348,St. Mary's Medical Center,L&D,RN,Night,2026-03-16,2026-03-23,Draft,

Step 3: Upload the CSV

1. Click the Import dropdown on the Assignments tab.
2. Select Upload CSV.
3. Select your populated CSV file.
4. The system validates the file and displays a preview:

Step 4: Review Import Preview

The import preview shows:

Section	Description
Valid Rows	Assignments that passed all validation. These will be created.
Warning Rows	Assignments with non-blocking issues (e.g., credential warnings, schedule overlaps). These can be created with acknowledgment.
Error Rows	Assignments that failed validation (e.g., invalid BlueSky ID, facility not found, candidate not confirmed). These will be skipped.

Each row in the preview displays:

• Row number from the CSV.
• Caregiver name (looked up from BlueSky ID).
• Assignment details.
• Status (Valid, Warning, Error).
• Issue description (for Warning and Error rows).

Step 5: Confirm Import

1. Review all rows in the preview.
2. Optionally uncheck specific rows to exclude them from the import.
3. Click Import [N] Assignments to create the valid and acknowledged assignments.
4. A summary dialog appears showing the results:
   • Number of assignments created.
   • Number of rows skipped.
   • Download link for an error report (if any rows were skipped).

Common Import Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
Caregiver not found	The BlueSky ID does not exist in the platform.	Verify the ID in BlueSky CRM. Import the caregiver into the platform first.
Candidate not confirmed	The caregiver is a candidate but has not reached Confirmed status.	Update the candidate's status to Confirmed before importing assignments.
Facility not found	The facility name does not match any facility in the event.	Use the exact facility name as shown in Event Settings.
Unit not found	The unit name does not match any unit at the specified facility.	Check the unit name in Event Settings under the facility.
Invalid date format	The date is not in YYYY-MM-DD format.	Reformat dates to YYYY-MM-DD. Be careful with Excel auto-formatting.
Date outside event range	The start or end date falls outside the event's defined date range.	Adjust dates to fall within the event period.
Duplicate assignment	An assignment with the same caregiver, facility, unit, shift, and dates already exists.	Remove the duplicate row from the CSV.

tip

After a large import, switch to the Unit View on the assignment board to quickly verify coverage across all facilities and units. This visual check can catch issues that individual row validation may not surface.

Quick Assignment from Candidate List

You can create an assignment directly from the candidate list without navigating to the Assignments tab:

1. Navigate to the event's Candidates tab.
2. Locate a confirmed candidate.
3. Click the Assign button (calendar icon) in the candidate's row.
4. A simplified assignment dialog opens with the caregiver pre-selected.
5. Fill in the remaining fields (Facility, Unit, Specialty, Shift, Dates).
6. Click Save.

This shortcut is useful when working through the candidate list to assign confirmed caregivers one by one.

Best Practices

1. Create assignments promptly after confirmation. Once a candidate confirms, create their assignment to lock in their placement. Delays can lead to scheduling gaps.
2. Use Draft status for tentative assignments. If the placement is not yet finalized, save as Draft. Move to Scheduled once confirmed with the facility.
3. Leverage CSV import for large events. For events with more than 20 assignments, CSV import is significantly faster than manual creation.
4. Verify facility and unit names before importing. The most common import errors are name mismatches. Download the facility/unit list from Event Settings to ensure your CSV uses exact names.
5. Check the staffing requirements after creating assignments. Use the assignment board's fill rate indicators to verify coverage. Focus on red (below 80%) areas first.