Healthcare labor shortages are nothing new. In fact, we’ve been grappling with shortages of various kinds for many years. Demand ebbs and flows as does the availability of qualified candidates.
But the situation has become more challenging in recent years for a number of reasons ranging from the impacts of the pandemic, to advances in technology, to new sources of competition that extend beyond local service areas. That competition, of course, has caused some organizations to struggle to the point where layoffs are necessary.
It’s definitely a double-edged sword.
Factors Contributing to the Ongoing Shortage
Hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities are struggling to maintain adequate staffing levels across various roles, from nurses and physicians to allied health professionals and support staff. There are a number of factors contributing to the worsening labor shortage in healthcare:
- An aging workforce. The median age of RNs in the US is 46. The average age of practicing physicians is 53.9. The mean US labor force overall is 41.8—it’s clear that the age of the healthcare workforce is skewing in the wrong direction.
- Burnout and stress. Fewer workers mean more work for those still on the job and that leads to burnout, stress, and turnover. It’s a vicious cycle.
- Increased demand. While pressures on the healthcare workforce are leading to shortages, demand is on the rise due to an aging population and rising rates of chronic diseases.
- Competition—not just for healthcare services, but also for healthcare workers who have more options than ever before, including travel positions and opportunities in other industries that often pay more. Many non-licensed positions are competing with fast food and retail who are now paying much higher wages than previously.
So what can you do to get ahead of the curve and minimize the impact of labor shortages on your facility and your patients? A number of things.
Strategies for Addressing Labor Shortages
First, focus on your culture! Culture and leadership are crucial for attracting and retaining talent. Prioritize creating and sustaining a positive work environment that supports and values staff.
Next, be proactive in improving retention strategies. Having a revolving door of staff isn’t good for anyone—your organization, your staff members, or your patients. Offering competitive compensation, flexibility scheduling, career development and advancement opportunities, and robust benefit and wellness programs can help keep staff on board. But many of these things are beyond the control of the manager. What is within the manager’s control is doing stay interviews where you focus on the individual’s needs and what it will take to keep them engaged and ultimately retain them.
Invest in technology and technological solutions to help alleviate staffing pressures by automating routine tasks and improving efficiencies. This frees up time for employees to focus on higher value work and tasks where they find the most value—like, for many, direct patient care.
In addition to technology, consider alternative staffing models like team-based care, skill mix changes, or using advanced practice providers to maximize the reach of existing staff.
Being Proactive—and Strategic
Gathering input from staff and acting on this input is an important way to ensure that your culture meets their needs. But just because you’ve administered an employee survey doesn’t mean you’ve done all you can to improve employee satisfaction. It’s what you do after the survey that really matters. And what you do needs to be strategic, aligned with your culture and values, and designed to positively impact both the employee and the patient experience.
It’s not an easy task. But it’s one we can help you achieve. Getting in front of healthcare labor trends is an ongoing challenge. We can help.
Tags: attracting and retaining talent, Employee Engagement, employee recruitment, health care labor shortage, healthcare labor shortage, labor shortage in healthcare, nursing shortage
