Staffing Crises in Healthcare
By Holly Foreman
The healthcare profession is expected to see an increase in personnel shortages in coming years. With already existing changes in reimbursement models and an increased focus on patient satisfaction and outcomes, nursing shortages will further impact an already stressed care model. When a facility is understaffed, it can be plagued with inconsistent care, administrative backups and potentially life-threatening errors.
At CareMeda, we have learned that the staffing efficiency of a facility directly affects the quality of care it delivers, and are proud to provide a system that supports consistency and maximizes productivity. Over the years, we have seen firsthand some of the challenges that led to the current staffing crisis in health and aged care, and were inspired to create an innovative platform to aid caregivers in meeting rising demands.
Stress & Burnout
No matter the industry, when a business is understaffed, it is forced to require more of its remaining team. In health care, that means providers can be asked to take on more patients, work extra shifts, and help in departments outside their normal scope. Doing so creates a reduction in energy, lack of motivation, ambivalence and emotional exhaustion.[1] These combined traits and their resulting behaviors can lead to errors that jeopardize care.
Overworked Caregivers
Several states require hospitals to have staffing committees that address nurse-patient ratios and scheduling, but there is no nationwide requirement regarding the number of patients a caregiver can manage at one time. Simply put, facility staff are being asked to do more with less.
Recruiting Challenges
Based on the evolution of care, the number of students in medical training and projected levels of graduation figures, The Health Resources and Services Administration expects a national RN deficit of 8% by 2030, and an LPN deficit of 13%. The interest in healthcare careers is not meeting the growing need for caregivers.
The Education Advisory Board recognizes the need for comprehensive recruiting into healthcare professions. They mention the following reasons that limit interest in nursing programs:
Traditionally low wages
Publicly acknowledged burnout in the career
Faculty Shortages (as a result of lower student-teacher ratios for clinical training and lower earnings for nurse faculty).
An Increasing Aging Population
By 2030, one out of five American Citizens will be age 65 or older, meaning that 20% of our population will be of retirement age. By 2035, there will be more older people in the US than younger people, according to interpretation of US Census data.[2] The implications are vast:
Higher patient volumes
Longer term of care
Shortage of home health aides
Higher cost of care
Solutions
There are many traditional ways to overcome the shortage of qualified staffing for health and aged care facilities. Strategies like cross-staffing and quicker onboarding show merit, along with encouraging cross-discipline specialties. Flexible scheduling and more competitive wage and benefit packages go a long way. The EAB encourages strong collegiate recruiting programs that combat field negativity with testimonials from former students and goes so far as to recommend that universities offer accelerated programs that allow students to see a quicker return on their educational investment.
Ultimately, there have always been staffing shortages in healthcare, and there will continue to be shortages. Simply trying to correct staffing is not the only answer; we need innovative solutions that allow these industries to provide the care their patients need without having to worry about staffing shortages affecting their ability to do so.
Technology solutions offer these industries a new path for innovative care delivery. CareMeda’s platform is easy to use and improves patient outcomes without additional resources.Our remote monitoring and virtual communication solution enables quality care with minimal staff involvement and without the use of costly equipment. Care recipients can have their health and wellness closely monitored and become active participants in their own healthcare. Providers are able to do more with less, and with a solid foundation of technology backing up their everyday activities, they will be less affected by staffing fluctuations.
CareMeda invites you to join in ongoing discussion on topics affecting the health care and aged care industries such as:
Staffing shortages
Health records management
Patient and family engagement
Telehealth shortcomings and benefits
Improvements in elder care
Continual vitals monitoring
Hospital-At-Home
Remote care for chronic illness
Self-Triage and Patient Kiosks