How to Address the Challenges of Healthcare Workforce Shortages

The healthcare industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. However, despite the increasing demand, administrators, private practice owners, and department heads face the challenge of finding and retaining qualified professionals, like doctors, nurses, and support staff.

This shortage can have a significant impact on patient care and the success of your organization. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the challenges of healthcare workforce shortages and provide solutions to help you overcome them.

Understanding the Challenges of Healthcare Workforce Shortages

Here are some examples of the problems facilities face due to the healthcare workforce shortage:

Increased Workload: Healthcare professionals are often overworked, which can lead to burnout and a decline in the quality of care.
Reduced Patient Care Quality: The shortage can lower not only the quantity of attended patients, but also the quality of their care, resulting in longer wait times for medical attention, delayed treatments, and even deaths.
Staffing Costs: Healthcare facilities may have to pay higher wages to attract and retain qualified professionals to fill open positions, which can affect the overall budget.
Lack of Diversity: Many healthcare facilities struggle with hiring diverse professionals, which can lead to a lack of representation and, ultimately, cultural insensitivity.
Compliance Challenges: Healthcare facilities may find it difficult to comply with regulatory requirements without adequate staffing, putting the facility at risk of penalties or sanctions.

Healthcare Workforce Shortage Solutions for Your Organization

One of the most effective and efficient healthcare workforce shortage solutions is working with a medical staffing agency. Reputable, experienced agencies offer vetted, qualified nursing professionals across a broad spectrum of specialties that can fill holes in your scheduling, whether you need short-term help or a long-term staffing solution. Based on your specific issues and the types of gaps you have to address, there are two especially beneficial ways to bolster your workforce:

Travel Nurses

When facing healthcare workforce shortages with nurse faculty, travel nurses can be your best friend. A reputable staffing organization has a team of trusted nurses that can work for your business for long or short-term needs. Travel nurses are a great asset to hospitals needing staffing because they have a wealth of experience and can hit the ground running when adequately prepared. They can also work flexible hours, making them an excellent solution for any shifts that may be hard to fill.

Additional reasons you should consider travel nurses as a healthcare workforce shortage solution at your facility include:

Travel nurses alleviate staffing shortages, particularly in areas with high demand or lacking available healthcare professionals.
They bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise from working in various healthcare settings.
Travel nurses can provide continuity of care, ensuring patients receive consistent and high-quality treatment.
They offer flexible staffing solutions, working as needed or filling in for staff on leave or vacation.
Utilizing travel nurses helps healthcare facilities save on staffing costs by avoiding the expense of hiring full-time employees.

Per Diem Nurses

Another invaluable asset to hospitals is per diem nurses. They are typically local, so they understand your community and often know some of your staff and patients from prior stints at your organization or others in the area. Working with a staffing agency can help find qualified, vetted candidates to cover shifts in a wide range of specialties. You may also consider per diem nurses as a solution to your healthcare worker shortage because:

Per diem nurses offer flexibility in scheduling, allowing healthcare facilities to fill staffing gaps without committing to a full-time employee.
They are often available on short notice, making them ideal for filling in during unexpected absences or increased patient volume during busy cold and flu seasons.
Per diem nurses can bring a fresh perspective to a healthcare team, bringing new ideas and best practices from their varied work experiences.
They offer a cost-effective solution to workforce shortages, as facilities only pay for their work hours.
Utilizing per diem nurses can help prevent staff burnout by reducing overtime and ensuring adequate staffing.

Healthcare Workforce Development Best Practices When Facing Shortages

Staffing agencies and independent travel or per diem nurses are an excellent way to ensure continuity of care when facing shortages, but they’re not a complete solution. Developing your own healthcare workforce shortage solutions can help address long-term physician and nurse staffing needs.

Following these healthcare workforce development best practices can help your organization find an ideal balance between full-time and temporary staffing that doesn’t strain your workers or budget:

Invest in education and training opportunities for staff, including continuing education, certifications, and advanced degrees.
Develop clear career paths for staff, providing opportunities for advancement and growth within the organization.
Foster a culture of employee engagement and retention by offering competitive salaries, benefits, and a supportive work environment.
Develop partnerships with educational institutions and other healthcare organizations to build a pipeline of qualified candidates.
Utilize technology and automation to streamline processes, reduce workload, and improve efficiency.

Tips for Healthcare Workforce Management During Staffing Shortages

Healthcare workforce management can be a challenge at the best of times, but during staffing shortages, it can become even more difficult. Hospital administrators and other staffing decision makers need to be prepared to make tough decisions and take decisive action to ensure their facility continues providing the best possible care to patients.

One essential tip for healthcare workforce management during staffing shortages is to focus on retention. Retaining your existing staff can be a more cost-effective solution than recruiting and training new employees. Ensure your team feels valued and supported by offering incentives and benefits such as flexible working hours, tuition reimbursement, and professional development opportunities.

Another tip is to cross-train your staff to work in different roles and departments. This can help you cover staffing gaps and ensure your facility can continue operating efficiently even during high-demand periods.

Struggling With Healthcare Workforce Shortages? Turn to ERN Services

For over 20 years, ERN Services has worked with organizations to address their healthcare workforce shortages for everything from travel nurses to environmental service professionals. If you’re looking for a partner to provide shortage solutions and fully-vetted and compliant staffing, we’re here to help. Reach out today to discuss your health workforce needs and how we offer nurse practitioners, RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and other caregivers to meet your patients and organization’s needs.