When it comes to nursing shortage solutions, there is no one-size-fits-all fix. The nursing staff shortage loomed even before COVID-19, but the pandemic exacerbated the issue. Unfortunately, the U.S. Bureau of Labor forecasts the problem to worsen over the coming years, meaning that medical facilities focused in areas like rehabilitation, assisted living, and hospice care, to name just a few specializations, should be searching for innovative solutions to what’s proving an intractable short-term problem.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at nursing shortage causes and solutions, including an innovative platform that might just be the easiest, most efficient way for a facility to actually fill all those much-needed nursing jobs.
Why Is There a Nursing Shortage?
There are several contributing factors to the current nursing staff shortage, most notably an aging, mostly female workforce; a lack of educators to train young students; and turnover fueled by employee burnout.
Some of these problems, such as the fact that the number of registered nurses over the age of 65 is at its highest level ever, can’t really be changed. Others, like significantly increasing the number of males in the worker pool or finding enough educators willing to instruct nursing students, will take time to alter the hiring landscape of the profession.
When it comes to turnover caused by employee burnout, however, there are some solutions that can be implemented to help improve overall morale and to deal more organically with nursing staff issues.
What Is the Best Way to Solve the Nursing Shortage?
When examining nursing shortage causes and solutions, it’s clear that addressing employee burnout is perhaps the most important thing that can be done by individual facilities. Here are three proven strategies to increase nurse retention:
1. Create a Healthy Work Environment – By prioritizing workplace culture, increasing recognition and acknowledgment of hard work, listening to the concerns of nurses on the floor, and then adjusting protocol to meet those needs, medical facilities can foster an environment in which nurses can thrive rather than just survive.
2. Focus on Work-Life Balance – Healthcare leaders need to be more open to worker freedoms like flexible scheduling, shift optionality, and different start times. Additionally, there needs to be sufficient paid time off for the self-care of all medical staff, including nurses, health techs, and nursing assistants.
3. Be at the Forefront of Innovation – When it comes to today’s nursing shortage solutions, it’s important for medical facilities to consider and embrace new strategies and technologies in order to attract and retain today’s more flexible nursing workforce.
How to Fill Nursing Jobs with Technology
Even if a healthcare facility has worked hard to retain nurses by creating a positive, fulfilling work environment, the harsh reality is that at some point they’re almost certain to need additional staffing help. That’s where a web-based platform like nurseIO can provide a smarter, more affordable nursing shortage solution for facilities compared to that of a traditional staffing service.
Essentially, the platform connects medical facilities in need of staffing with local qualified nursing and healthcare professionals who are searching for one-time per diem shifts or other short-term assignments. This allows facilities to fill staffing gaps and flex their workforce at any time of day. Even if coverage is needed for a last-minute call-off, nurseIO’s easy-to-use mobile app can help find an experienced local professional to maintain proper staffing levels, thereby lessening the burden on full-time nurses and health techs while also improving efficiency.
Best of all, with nurseIO, unlike traditional staffing agencies, there are never any commitments or exclusive contracts on the part of the facility!
If you’re looking for nursing shortage solutions, reach out to nurseIO today and see why the web-based platform might just be the innovative solution you need to fix one of the healthcare industry’s toughest challenges.
