Flexible Staffing Among the Latest Solutions to Nurse Staffing Problems: Here’s Why

Facilities continue to face overwhelming challenges related to healthcare worker staffing and nursing shortages. Hence, the need for solutions to nurse staffing problems has never been greater. Fortunately, a flexible staffing plan is a critical key to this pressing issue.

What is a flexible staffing plan? It’s a strategy healthcare facilities use that involves soliciting per diem support to fill staffing gaps. As a partner with the nurseIO platform, your healthcare facility can skip the stress of staffing challenges! Using our app-based technology platform, healthcare facilities can connect with qualified professionals looking to fill per diem shifts in their area. 

Have a flexible staffing plan in your back pocket for today, tomorrow, or sometime in the future. Easily flex your workforce when YOU need it most! Take a look at the top 5 reasons why a flexible nurse staffing plan is a must for healthcare facilities.

5 Reasons a Flexible Staffing Plan Is a Must for Healthcare Facilities

  1. Easily Adjust to Fluctuations in Patient Census

The healthcare field is always changing and often unpredictable. There are periods when patient admissions fluctuate rapidly. As such, facilities must stay vigilant in regard to the simultaneous fluctuation of healthcare worker and nurse staffing levels. Luckily, with a healthcare technology platform like nurseIO, your facility can adjust your workforce as needed. For example, increase your staff during times of critical need by using per diem workers, including a registered nurse, CNA, Med Tech, and more. Then, in times of lesser need, reduce that amount of workers. 

  1. Be Prepared for Last-Minute Call-Outs or Short-Term Leaves

The inevitability of short staffing in nursing, and other healthcare roles, affects healthcare facilities all the time. Be it last-minute call-outs, no-shows, a registered nurse (RN) getting a flat tire, a CNA suddenly out sick for a few days, or an LPN going on short-term leave when you need them most, these are typical issues plaguing facilities across the county. While common occurrences, facilities must be prepared at all times. 

Your healthcare facility needs a plan to combat call-outs, leaves, and other explanations for last-minute shift openings. More specifically, it needs to be able to flex its workforce at any time, any day! Pull out the nurseIO platform when needed and post your open shift weeks in advance or even just minutes before for on-demand per diem support.

  1. Prevent Burnout in Full-Time Staff

The effects of short staffing in nursing and additional healthcare roles don’t just impact you but your employees as well. You don’t want to rely solely on your full-time staff when filling in gaps left by low staffing levels. This requires overtime and can contribute to employee burnout. If your staff is burned out, the quality of patient care drops, and your turnover rate begins to rise… you know the cycle.

Keep your facility’s staff from being overworked. Instead, utilize local per diem healthcare professionals that are energized and equipped to fill all your needs.

  1. Additional Full-Time Hires Are Not Always Needed

One of the biggest perks of having a flexible staffing plan is that per diem support allows you to fill a temporary shift on an as-needed basis without hiring additional full-time staff.

Sometimes facilities need one-time per diem shifts covered; other times, they need longer short-term assignments taken care of. Either way, it’s often unnecessary to meet a temporary surge of patient census or random gaps in staff with new full-time hires.

Save your facility the workload it requires to bring on additional hires. Let per diem support from the nurseIO platform be your solution!

  1. Your Budget Will Thank You

Back-and-forth methods of trying to fill shifts yourselves will only leave you frustrated, contributing to lost time and spending on extra costs like overtime pay. How much did your facility pay in overtime last year? How much did you spend on hiring additional full-time staff that per diem support could have solved?

Additional costs hold your facility back! SAVE by posting your shifts to the nurseIO platform. It includes straightforward pricing to use the platform when it’s convenient for your facility.

Overall, facilities thrive when shifts are continually filled because patients are happy and healthcare workers feel supported! Healthcare facilities like yours use the nurseIO platform as part of their solution to short staffing in nursing and other healthcare positions. 

Feel relief knowing you have the proper healthcare workforce shortage solutions at hand! Register your facility today as a partner with the nurseIO platform. 

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