Practically every healthcare delivery system has had staffing challenges. The financial impact has seriously stressed resources, staff safety, and the quality of patient care.

Survey data shows a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2033 and the need for an additional 200,000 nurses per year to replace the retiring nursing staff alone. These numbers do not reflect the current increasing operational staffing needs because of the pandemic.

Over the last few years, hospitals and health care workers have been battling the COVID-19 pandemic at great expense. In addition to a staffing system that was already overtaxed, polls found about 3 out of 10 health care workers have considered leaving their profession. The top reason for the workers wanting to change was documented as “emotional health and wellbeing of staff.”

Patient care suffers when medical workers experience stress and fatigue in the workplace. Overworked workers may experience loss of concentration, irritability, impaired judgment, and slower reaction times.

The hospital’s need to replace and expand physicians and nursing staff comes with a significant financial price. Along with the continual need to interview, train, and bring new teams on board, hospitals have additional expenditures of temporary staff coverage.

New technology has been made available to hospitals to fine-tune the evaluation of staffing needs. The software has been provided to hospital administrations to use artificial intelligence and workflow automation that gives insight into the hospital’s current and future staffing needs. These evaluations permit hospital administrations to be proactive and staff their facilities based on the actual demand.

 

Once a healthcare facility understands what the staffing needs are, Administrators can approach creative ways of hiring by:

1.   Using professional publications, professional job boards, and social media links.
2.   Offering current staff financial incentives to refer friends, family members, and acquaintances.
3.   Contacting medical schools and training centers.

Creating a desirable facility to work in is the best way to entice new staff members. Creating a work environment that staff is dedicated to being a part of will be a selling point to new staff members and will increase the retention of existing staff.

Solicited information of what health care workers desire in the workplace has been expressed by the following:

1.   Flexible work schedules that take into consideration the worker’s home life situations (children, aging parents, etc.)
2.   Competitive compensation that includes first-rate salaries, vacation time, gym memberships, health benefits, child care, and added education benefits
3.   Maintaining adequate staffing and lower workload ratios
4.   Inventories of safety supplies, equipment, and vaccinations for disease control and worker’s health
5.   Routine communication between administration and staff for a clear understanding of what is needed, and a positive environment

Staffing a hospital requires excellent communication to understand “front line” staffing concerns.

With the administrator’s attention to these concerns, a desirable environment for new hires, along with long-term retention of existing staff is achievable.

 

Vesta and Momentum Healthcare Staffing

Aside from Vesta’s teleradiology and telemedicine services, Vesta also offers top-to-bottom healthcare staffing. Our objective is to connect highly qualified clinicians and healthcare facilities with the best opportunities.