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The healthcare labor shortage is a staffing crisis we can no longer ignore. While most people attribute the staffing shortage to COVID-19, the truth is that it was an issue long before the pandemic and will continue to be an issue long after.
Factors that contributed to the labor shortage:
The aging population
As technology progressed, several medical advancements have prolonged the average person’s life span. While this is advantageous, it also means that people today require care for longer periods of time. About 10,000 individuals aged 59-77 have joined Medicare plans, which has increased the demand for more healthcare workers in recent years (Barrueta, 2023).
Burnout among healthcare professionals
The pandemic caused unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios further contributing to feelings of burnout. A survey found that 34% of nurses wished to quit their healthcare jobs by the end of 2022, and 44% said this was due to burnout (Keck School of Medicine of USC, 2023).
Limited opportunities for training new healthcare workers
Training opportunities are severely limited due to the lack of nursing faculty available to train the next generation of healthcare workers. Universities turn away tens of thousands of applicants for nursing and healthcare programs each year (Duquesne University School of Nursing, N.D.).
Other contributors to the shortage
The Great Resignation is a term that refers to a record number of workers that quit their jobs, including healthcare professionals (Admin Healthcare Workforce Trends, 2023). Many factors have influenced The Great Resignation, such as lack of job satisfaction, healthcare decisions being politicized, and more (Admin Healthcare Workforce Trends, 2023).
When healthcare workers get sent to remote or underserved areas, they tend to be unsatisfied with their jobs for several reasons. These reasons include being relocated from their families, remote areas not paying as well, and underserved areas not having as many resources to properly treat patients. This is unfortunate because millions of Americans live in these remote and underserved areas where trained professionals are lacking (Keck School of Medicine of USC, 2023).
Strategies and solutions that need to be implemented
Flexible schedules
One study found that 55.4% of care providers had greater work satisfaction when given the opportunity to have a flexible schedule (Frasier, 2022). The survey also found that 50 percent of respondents with flexible schedules experienced a better quality of life, feeling less stressed and more in control of their workload (Frasier, 2022).
Tuition assistance or loan repayment programs
If healthcare professionals were relieved of some of the burden that student loans place on them, then more people would consider entering the field. Healthcare employers could incorporate tuition assistance or student loan repayment programs into their benefits packages to entice potential future employees.
Offer online learning and continued education
If universities provide the option of obtaining a health degree and other certificates online, this could lead to an increase in people entering the medical field. Although clinicals would still need to take place in person, students could commute less and complete some of their course work in the comfort of their home (Duquesne University, 2023).
As the demand for quality care continues to rise, we need more healthcare workers than ever before. The healthcare industry will not see an improvement involving the staffing shortage until these necessary changes have been made.
Article re-published with permission from Favorite Healthcare Staffing, Physicians insurance’s staffing partner.
Physicians Insurance is committed to supporting practices bringing you affiliated services to help reduce risk factors that can lead to malpractice risk and improve operations specific to medical practices and healthcare organizations.
Favorite provides a wide range of staffing services for nursing, allied health, and non-clinical personnel. Favorite offers short-term and long-term staffing solutions, including per diem, local and travel contract, temp-to-perm, and permanent hire options. Contact Meghan Stanley, mstanley@mms.org for details.
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