Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a significant number of healthcare providers have left the industry and staffing enough HCP to provide care has been a struggle.
Changes as a Result of the Pandemic
Healthcare systems and hospitals are questioning how they can continue to provide patient care while remaining in compliance with federal and state healthcare standards. They are also wondering how to retain their financial stability amid the wave of retirements and departures.
Furthermore, healthcare organizations have adjusted their employment policies to be more flexible and innovative to address these problems to keep providing patient care and keep their doors open. While examining the quality of care and potential effects of employment regulations, providers continue to examine various strategies used by hospitals and other healthcare organizations.
Bringing on Travel Nurses
Travel nurses are an often discussed topic to aid in the shortage of nurses. They are brought on by temporary staffing companies that organize job placement and work out contracts with hospitals and healthcare organizations. Because of the vast shortage of nurses, these companies have been able to influence their positions by discussing favorable changes made to contracts. Some of these provisions include sign-on bonuses, competitive compensation rates for travel nurses, and fees to aid in the hiring process of travel nurses.
Also, broad reliance on staffing organizations is not a permanent solution, although some agencies believe it to be helpful. Smaller healthcare facilities, notably rural hospitals, struggle, among other things, to keep up with the rising cost of nurse labor. As a result, several of them had to close, forcing patients to drive further for care. As these positions are temporary, this forces hospitals to search for replacements as travel nurses leave. Moreover, travel nurses typically receive higher compensation than full-time nurses. Many nurses have chosen to look for higher-paying positions because of this disparity. As long as they are overworked and their employers are understaffed, nurses employed at hospitals will continue to feel discouraged and frustrated. MedCore can help solve these issues in your healthcare organization.
Focused Hiring and Recruitment in Competitive Industries
Talent management and human resources teams never stop coming up with fresh concepts for hiring the best candidates. This is significant given how difficult it is to find a job nowadays. One of these ideas is targeted hiring. Targeted hiring calls for a recruitment strategy that makes use of data to monitor a candidate’s progress toward particular objectives. These strategies have been used in nursing school programs for developing mentors to help with their program and to help them find future jobs.
Healthcare organizations are also employing and educating individuals without a background in medicine to do administrative duties. In this case, a nursing license is not required. Current employees, though, could find this method of recruitment annoying. As a result, nurses and other HCP may feel unworthy and believe they are powerless to demand greater benefits.
Employee Retention
Although healthcare systems are always looking to hire more personnel, retaining original employees is still vital. In order to do this, hospitals have tried to provide nurses with more flexible schedules. This can entail working in several hospitals or clinical settings. Staff members may also be able to select the departments where they’d like to work. Giving workers more autonomy could lessen burnout while boosting job satisfaction. Employers still need to be aware of wage and hour laws while using these strategies. For instance, depending on the classification of the employee across work sites, the Fair Labor Standards Act mandates businesses to ensure employees are paid for all hours worked, including overtime.
Looking to Tackle Staffing Shortages in your Healthcare Practice?
MedCore Solutions can help your practice tackle staffing shortages. They are an industry leader in streamlined medical billing and administrative services. MedCore’s specialists offer a solution to industry-wide staffing shortages while helping your practice run smoothly. MedCore tailors solutions to the needs of each medical practice so providers can focus on what matters most: taking care of their patients. Learn more at https://medcoresolutions.com/.
Reference
SHRM. (2023, May 23). Legal considerations when addressing health care staffing shortages. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/legal-considerations-health-care-staffing-shortages.aspx