The healthcare industry is undergoing a period of significant transformation, driven by factors such as an aging population, technological advancements, and increasing demand for specialized care. This transformation is also having a profound impact on the healthcare staffing landscape, with steep shortages predicted in many parts of the country.
Fortunately, hospitals, clinics, and physicians’ offices are responding proactively to ensure that the future of healthcare staffing caters to the needs of the provider as well as the patient. In this blog, we will explore the current trends and challenges in healthcare staffing, and discuss the potential solutions that will shape the future of the industry.
Current Trends in Healthcare Staffing
Several key trends are currently shaping the healthcare staffing landscape:
Nursing Shortage: The COVID-19 pandemic was catastrophic for the healthcare industry, exacerbating employee burnout, especially within the nursing profession. During the pandemic, around 100,000 registered nurses left the workforce due to burnout, stress, and retirement, and more than 610,000 RNs plan to leave the workforce by 2027 for the same reasons.1 The nursing shortage is a global crisis that is expected to worsen in the coming years, being driven by factors such as an aging workforce, increased demand for healthcare services, and rising healthcare costs.
Increased Demand for Specialty Care: The demand for specialized care, such as oncology, cardiology, and orthopedics, is also on the rise. This is being driven by a number of factors, including the aging of the baby boomer generation and advancements in medical technology making it possible to provide specialized care for a wider range of conditions.
Telehealth and Remote Work: Telehealth is one trending solution for the future of healthcare staffing, empowering the monitorization of patients from afar and enabling long-distance consults with key specialists. This is creating new opportunities for healthcare professionals to work remotely and providing flexibility for both employers and employees. For example, telehealth allows patients to consult with healthcare providers from the comfort of their own homes. This can be particularly beneficial for patients who live in rural areas or have limited mobility, as staffing shortages are most noticeable among rural communities. Finding skilled specialty care in a rural area can be next to impossible for many.
Telehealth creates the added benefit of remote work, which also allows healthcare professionals to work from anywhere in the world. This can be a great benefit for healthcare professionals who are looking for flexibility or who want to work for a company that is located in a different part of the country.
Challenges Facing Healthcare Staffing
Healthcare hiring managers face a number of challenges in today’s competitive market. Pam Teufel, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Main Line Health told Becker’s Hospital Review that the healthcare industry will never return to its pre-pandemic state, adding that “talent is still scarce, expensive, and doesn’t stay as long as they used to.”2
Finding Qualified Candidates: It can be difficult to find qualified candidates with the right skills and experience. This is particularly true for specialized roles, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Additionally, the nursing shortage is making it difficult to find qualified nurses.
Retaining Top Talent: Once candidates are hired, it is important to retain them. This can be challenging due to factors such as burnout, high turnover rates, and the opportunity to work for other employers. Healthcare professionals are in high demand, so they have a lot of options.
Managing Costs: Healthcare staffing can be expensive. This is due to a number of factors, including the rising cost of healthcare, the increasing complexity of healthcare, and the shortage of healthcare professionals. Hiring managers must carefully plan their healthcare budgets while ensuring that they have the staff they need to provide high-quality care.
Meeting Regulatory Requirements: Healthcare organizations must comply with a number of regulatory requirements. These requirements can be complex and time-consuming. Hiring managers must ensure that their organization is in compliance with all applicable regulations.
Adapting to Change: The healthcare industry is constantly changing. Hiring managers must be able to adapt to change quickly and effectively. This includes being able to identify new trends and challenges and developing strategies to address them.
The Future of Healthcare Staffing
The future of healthcare staffing is likely to be shaped by the effective utilization of data and technology. Workforce management is extremely complex for healthcare facilities, but the right healthcare staffing data can provide a well-informed solution. AI combined with in-depth data allows healthcare facilities to develop robust staffing strategies that forecast patient volume and anticipate seasonal trends while responding to real-time information. Big data tools can calculate treatment durations, evaluate patient visit patterns, and optimize staff scheduling. Data analytics can also improve patient outcomes by detecting the early stages of illness and identifying high-risk patients, which enables proactive healthcare planning to reduce readmissions and emergency room visits.
Strategies for Effective Healthcare Staffing
There are a number of strategies that healthcare organizations can implement to improve their staffing effectiveness:
Develop a robust staffing plan. A well-developed staffing plan is essential for ensuring that an organization has the right number of staff in the right places at the right times. This plan should take into account factors such as patient volume, staff turnover rates, and regulatory requirements. Proper planning will also streamline onboarding, optimize scheduling, and identify when and where a facility will experience a gap in staffing making it possible for administrators to proactively fill these needs.
Invest in employee retention. Retaining top talent is essential for ensuring that an organization has a stable and experienced workforce. This can be achieved by offering competitive salaries and benefits, providing opportunities for professional development, and creating a positive work environment.
Utilize technology. Technology can be used to improve the efficiency of the staffing process. This includes using electronic health records (EHRs) to track patient volume and staffing needs and using online job boards to recruit candidates.
Partner with a healthcare staffing company. A healthcare staffing company such as Medix, can provide a number of benefits to healthcare organizations, including:
- Access to a large pool of qualified candidates.
- Assistance with the hiring process.
- Help with managing costs.
- Flexibility to scale staffing up or down as needed.
- Expertise in the healthcare industry.
Prepare for the Future Now
The healthcare staffing landscape is evolving rapidly. By understanding the current trends and challenges, healthcare organizations can better prepare for the future and ensure that they have the staff they need to provide high-quality care.
Empower your facility to provide a powerful response to healthcare staffing needs by partnering with Medix. Our staffing solutions can quickly connect you to the healthcare professionals you need, including RNs, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and medical assistants. Contact us to start drawing top talent and make the future of healthcare staffing bright in your facility.
