It has to be said that having a lack of nurses in the healthcare industry is not an issue that is brand new. In fact, there has been a shortage of nurses for as long as many healthcare workers can remember. However, it seems that in our post-COVID-19 world, this shortage is just getting worse and worse.
Research that has been conducted by the Nuffield Trust has found that the storage of nurses and midwives could be as many as 50,000 which means that there is an immense amount of pressure put on the system and those who are still working within the industry too.
There are a number of ways that this shortage could be improved, but one that you may not instantly think of is healthcare recruitment agencies. So, with this in mind, let’s take a look at how recruitment agencies can help to navigate the nursing shortage and bring the levels back to somewhere near where they should be.
Flexible staffing
Depending on what is happening in the world around us, there are times that hospitals are faced with sudden spikes in patient numbers and demand. This means that there is going to be a need for additional healthcare staff to meet those demands.
It is not always viable to hire additional staff, particularly if it is only going to be for short-term work, however, healthcare recruitment agencies can provide these settings with the staff that they are going to need in order to provide the level of support that the patients are going to need.
Experienced and high-quality staff
Another plus point that comes with staff that are sent from recruitment agencies is that they are already going to be vetted and approved by the agency before they come to work in the setting.
They are going to have the right skills and knowledge that is going to enable them to get started straight away and provide the support that the patients and the setting need. All without any additional training.
They may also provide viewpoints and thoughts that existing staff in the setting might not be able to identify, which can help to streamline what they do and ensure that their time is used as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Knowing the best ways to do things is going to help nursing staff to be more productive in their jobs and to complete the work that they need to complete in good time.
Reduce burnout for existing staff.
One thing that is a common issue with many people who work in healthcare is burnout. Burnout comes when the work level, stress level and general environment become too much for those staff members to bear and they become physically, mentally and often emotionally exhausted too.
It can be hard to identify a way to combat this burnout, especially since allowing some staff members time away from their role, means that other staff are going to need to pick up the leftover work, which can lead them to be burnt out too and then having to either spend extended periods of time not working, or leaving the industry altogether.
One option is to bring in staff that are from an agency. They can be in place for a short period of time that allows existing staff to step away, if needed and reduce the chance that they are going to get to the point of suffering from burnout.
Whilst the healthcare industry is going to face a nursing shortage for some time, knowing that there are ways to reduce the impact that this has and still provide the patients with the support that they require, is going to make it feel a lot more hopeful for the future.
