Healthcare organizations face a significant hiring surge every fall, with increased patient volumes during flu season and intensified healthcare needs around the holidays. As the industry evolves, advanced practice providers (APPs), including nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs), play an increasingly vital role in managing this seasonal demand. This guide explores effective strategies for recruiting and integrating APPs into your practice to ensure exceptional patient care during peak periods.
Understanding the Surge in Healthcare Hiring
The fall hiring surge in healthcare is predictable and demanding, with several key factors driving this seasonal spike. Among the strongest drivers is flu season, when patient visits rise significantly. This necessitates additional healthcare providers to manage the increased load.
Higher patient volumes also occur around the holidays due to increased travel and exposure to seasonal illnesses. In addition to spikes in flu cases, the fall can bring on other seasonal illnesses, including respiratory infections and severe allergies.1 These can strengthen the need for additional staffing support for APPs, such as NPs and PAs.
The Role of APPs
More healthcare organizations are integrating APPs into their operations, significantly enhancing patient care and efficiency. There are numerous benefits of staffing NPs and PAs, including:
- Cost-effectiveness: APPs provide cost-effective care by delivering many of the same services as physicians but at a lower cost. This approach allows organizations to manage more patients without compromising the quality of care.
- Increased patient satisfaction: APPs have a patient-centered approach. Research shows they spend more time with patients and foster stronger patient-provider relationships, which leads to higher patient satisfaction and better adherence to treatment plans.
- Improved patient outcomes: Studies have shown that APPs contribute to improved patient outcomes through their holistic approaches to care, preventative focus, and collaborative practice with physicians and other healthcare staff.2
Recruitment Strategies for APPs
Successfully recruiting APPs requires a strategic approach to meet the heightened demand during the surge season. Here’s how you can do it effectively.
Identify Recruitment Needs
Assess your current staffing levels to identify gaps. Determine the number of additional APPs required to meet the increased demand. Use historical data and predictive analytics to forecast the demand for APPs during the fall surge. This helps in planning and budgeting for the necessary hires.
Adopt Effective Recruitment Methods
Establish partnerships with nursing and PA programs to create a pipeline of qualified candidates. Many organizations offer internships and residencies to attract top talent early in their careers. Offer competitive compensation packages and include attractive benefits such as flexible scheduling, professional development opportunities, and healthcare benefits.
Specialized healthcare staffing partners, such as Medix, can provide you with the necessary expertise and resources to find the right APP candidates quickly and efficiently.
Leverage Technology in Recruitment
Use technology to further streamline the recruitment process. Implement applicant tracking systems to manage applications and speed up the hiring process. Virtual interviews are also effective for quickly screening candidates and reducing the time to hire.
Tap Into Larger Talent Pools
Widen your recruitment net by advertising positions on multiple platforms, including job boards, social media, and professional networks. Engage in active recruitment by highlighting openings to potential candidates through industry-specific forums. By partnering with Medix, healthcare organizations have access to specialized talent pools so we can quickly fill clinical positions, locally and nationally.
Retention Strategies for APPs
Retaining your nursing staff and APPs is key to lowering your total recruitment costs and maintaining a satisfied workforce, whether they’re full-time or temporary. The following retention strategies can help in attracting and retaining APPs for your seasonal healthcare staff.
Create a Supportive Work Environment
Creating a work environment that supports your employees’ career and lifestyle needs takes on greater importance during the fall hiring surge, especially for nurse practitioner and physician assistant hiring. Investing in professional development and offering opportunities for advancement can increase the likelihood of employees staying longer.
Contract roles can also benefit from a collaborative work environment, and more organizations are providing professional development opportunities and mentorship programs to support contingent and contract-to-hire candidates. With professional development potentially driving a 34% increase in retention rates, it’s imperative to provide these opportunities if your goal is to retain APPs.3
Implement Strategies To Reduce Turnover
With the expected demand for advanced healthcare practitioners, focus on strategies that will help to reduce employee turnover. One key approach to ensuring satisfied healthcare staff is to support their work-life balance. You can do this by offering flexible scheduling options and adequate time off, especially for contract and temporary candidates who may have multiple career and personal responsibilities to prioritize.
Recognizing the achievements of your staff and rewarding their contributions also helps to secure a long-term workforce. Acknowledge the contributions APPs make to your organization by initiating recognition programs, performance bonuses, and career advancement opportunities. When employers consistently recognize work milestones, ideas, and even life events, employees are 30% more likely to remain with the company for more than five years.4
Preparing for the Hiring Surge
Partnering with Medix is a great way to ensure a successful hiring season as the fall surge progresses. We recommend that healthcare organizations take several proactive approaches to prepare.
Streamlining the Hiring Process
Efficiency will be key during the expected fall hiring surge. Take steps to streamline your hiring process by establishing standard application procedures, conducting virtual interviews, and using technology to speed up background and reference checks. This approach will ensure you can onboard new staff and fill critical positions faster.
Training Existing Staff
Prepare your current staff to collaborate with new APPs through training on team-based care models and communication strategies. This preparation fosters a cohesive work environment and ensures that the focus remains on patient care during the transition.
Implementing a Flexible Staffing Model
Consider integrating flexible workforce and staffing models that allow you to adjust staffing levels based on patient demand. Review a mix of full-time, part-time, contract, and contract-to-hire APPs to ensure you have sufficient providers during peak times.
Enhancing Onboarding Processes
Review your onboarding process to ensure it’s thorough and welcoming. A positive onboarding experience sets the tone for new APPs and helps them better integrate into your practice. Provide comprehensive orientation that explains organizational culture, clinical protocols, and administrative procedures.
Partner With Medix and Prepare for the Fall Hiring Surge
As healthcare organizations prepare for the expected fall hiring surge, proactive recruitment and retention strategies for APPs are essential for maintaining high-quality patient care. Understanding the importance of APPs, implementing effective recruitment methods, and fostering a supportive work environment will help your organization better navigate the challenges of this upcoming spike in NP and PA hiring.
Working with specialized staffing partners such as Medix can further support your nursing recruitment efforts and ensure you have access to a pool of highly qualified and skilled APPs. Our dedicated recruitment team understands the market, giving us the ability to deliver skilled and vetted talent to fill specialized roles, including APPs.
