Every person in the medical industry recognizes staffing shortages are a problem. Many of these individuals face challenges associated with these shortages daily. They may be forced to work long hours, refer patients to other medical professionals or facilities, or worse. The Physicians Foundation reports that 73 percent of healthcare practices today are experiencing significant or moderate shortages, which is concerning.

A Widespread Issue

The problem goes beyond physicians. Healthcare organizations often find it hard to recruit staff across the board, from nurses and medical assistants to office staff. A shortage in one area often affects all other areas of the organization. Now is the time to learn how a locum tenens agency can help overcome staff shortages and get the organization back on track.

This agency may help a healthcare organization find a receptionist for a small practice or a certified registered nurse anesthesiologist for a busy hospital in the middle of a major city. Radiologists, lab technicians, or pharmacists might be needed, or a facility could be lacking in nurse practitioners. Working with an agency allows an organization to gain access to professionals across many specialties.

Recruiting and Retaining Clinicians

Many solutions have been suggested to help organizations recruit and retain clinicians. Better pay and perks appear on this list along with flexible work hours. Many physicians today are choosing to leave their practices to find ones that better fit their lifestyles, and organizations must recognize this and find ways to provide that lifestyle for these clinicians. Furthermore, organizations need to listen to clinicians when they offer suggestions on other ways to improve the workplace. What are some ways that have been suggested to improve morale across the board and encourage loyalty to the organization?

Better Pay for Support Workers

Office staff deserve better pay. Often, their skills can be used in a range of industries, so healthcare facilities need to ensure their pay is competitive with other businesses to keep staff members on board. If it isn’t, the office staff will go where the pay is better. Shortages across the industry have led to such high competition that healthcare practices might find they need to reevaluate pay for employees more than once a year. Yearly performance reviews to determine pay might not be enough anymore. They may need to be conducted twice a year, quarterly, or even monthly to ensure the pay being offered is competitive and fair.

Maximize Licensure

Avoid asking individuals to do tasks that could be handled by those with a lower licensure level. Allow workers to operate at the level of training they possess. Maximizing licensure at each level of the organization will make for happier employees.

Manage the Workload

Staff members shouldn’t be exhausted when they walk into the practice each day. They will be if work keeps getting piled on them, and they will quickly desire a new job. The loss of even one staff member could amplify this problem drastically. Certain practices are opting for shorter workweeks to reduce the burden on staff members, but doing so might affect patient care. Turn to locum tenens and better distribute the workload, so extreme measures such as this don’t need to be taken.

Remain Flexible

Smaller practices have more flexibility when it comes to making changes, particularly when it comes to pay. These changes don’t need to be approved by various committees, leaders, or the board. They can be implemented quickly to recruit and retain staff members. However, pay must be fair and equitable, as no organization wants to lose a long-term employee because they feel they are being undercompensated when compared to new workers.

Streamline Operations

Look for ways to make routine tasks easier for all staff members. Technology and automation may be of help with this goal. Train all staff members to use the technology and automation, so everyone can do their part to improve patient care while streamlining operations.

Career Advancement

When a staff member expresses an interest in furthering their career, the organization needs to listen. It might offer to pay for all or part of the worker’s education if it is related directly to the work provided within the organization. Doing so allows the worker to pursue a better career without worrying about the accompanying debt while giving the organization a skilled worker in an area where it might desperately need more staff.

For example, a medical assistant might express an interest in becoming a registered nurse. Healthcare organizations know how hard it is to find skilled nurses today, as the number of men and women working in this field decreased 12.5 percent from 2021 to 2022. Experts predict healthcare will be short 500,000 nurses by 2030. Allowing existing staff members to pursue a career as a nurse will help healthcare organizations fill these gaps when they come up.

While the organization might be short-handed at times as the worker pursues their education, locum tenens can be used to fill the gap. The organization won’t have to recruit and onboard a new staff member. They have one waiting in the wings who will take on advanced duties. It’s just a matter of filling the gap until they can do so.

Staff Wellness

Another major concern within the industry is staff burnout. As workers are made to work longer hours to make up for staffing shortages, they are more at risk for burnout. Almost 63 percent of physicians say they are experiencing burnout. Almost 53 percent say they struggle with periods of depression. Locum tenens can help minimize the burden to reduce the risk of burnout. Organizations need to consider bringing in these temporary workers to keep existing staff members safe and healthy. Locum tenens can be used alongside stress management resources to provide much-needed relief.

Virtual Options

Healthcare organizations should also expand virtual options for patients. Countless patients benefitted from telehealth options during the global pandemic and wish to continue using them today. These visits require less support staff, so both patients and healthcare organizations benefit. Consider expanding these options during staffing shortages so patients get the care they need without overwhelming providers.

Locum tenens are of great help to healthcare organizations today. This option should never be overlooked as the benefits are numerous. Learn more today to see how they can help your organization grow and thrive.

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