The challenges healthcare staffing shortages have caused over recent years have reached a critical point in the industry. With an aging population and a workforce lacking in the talent necessary to be quality candidates for healthcare roles, it’s evident that the industry is having trouble meeting high patient demand.
Such shortages have become more mainstream, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020. While the pandemic calmed down more so in 2022 going into 2023, the demanding workplace environment healthcare imposes continues to impose staffing shortages that medical organizations are continually innovating to handle. Unfortunately, the Mercer report on the Healthcare Labor Market Projections by 2028 showcases there will be a shortage of 100,000 healthcare workers by that year.
Here, we have 6 tips for your healthcare organization so you are prepared to have proficient healthcare crisis management planning during a medical crisis. However, these tips can be implemented during calmer periods as well to maintain order and decorum in the organization.
1. Develop a Crisis Management Plan
Crisis management in healthcare is best handled by developing a plan. Such a plan should outline action points in how the healthcare organization will handle staffing absences and shortages or unexpected upticks in patient volume.
Each part of the plan should outline different approaches to handling common medical crises. Action points for handling COVID-19 or other disease outbreaks may be different than how a natural disaster or mass casualty event would be handled. Even a plan for internal crises like IT issues or staffing shortages should have a plan attached to it.
The crisis management team (CMT) should involve the following stakeholders:
- Executive Director
- Medical Director
- Nursing Supervisor
- Human Resources Representative
- Communications Officer
- IT Manager
Some parts of the plan may include having on-call nurses or doctors come in when heightened patient volume or staffing issues occur. Hence, a solid talent acquisition strategy for attracting the best talent with a flexible schedule willing to come in whenever they are needed is essential for this portion of the crisis management plan to work.
2. Implement Flexible Staffing Models
Cross-train your medical professionals to achieve flexible staffing models that can mold to the current crisis. Hence, staff can support one another since they share the same skills across different departments, which helps to keep operations steady without interruptions.
Another great option would be to partner with a healthcare staffing agency. If your on-call staff isn’t reliable, then you can fall back on the staffing agency for qualified professionals trained to offer patient-centric care during medical crises.
Offering a self-scheduling model can ensure healthcare professionals get the shifts they desire that integrate with their work-life balance. If anything comes up in a professional’s scheduling, they can easily go into the system with another co-worker and swap shifts accordingly upon agreement.
Your healthcare organization should have telehealth options, which can expedite patient care in smaller manners. Hence, medical professionals can have more time to dedicate to the patients who need in-person care that day.
3. Focus on Recruitment Strategies
Refining healthcare hiring strategies is an important venture for handling medical crises. Proactive recruitment measures beyond the traditional methods will ensure your healthcare organization is covering all possible bases for procuring quality talent.
Post your job openings on social media platforms for a wider candidate outreach. Social media is used for more than posting updates about your life, connecting with family and friends far away, or watching engaging reels. Glassdoor reports that about 79% of job seekers will utilize social media to look for new career opportunities. Take advantage of this statistic and post openings on LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media platforms.
Consider integrating an internship or residency program into your healthcare organization’s talent acquisition strategy. An internship could integrate quality talent who have freshly graduated from college. A residency program may onboard more expertly experienced medical professionals who don’t mind changing their living situation to advance their careers.
Another great recruiting option would be to partner with universities and colleges. A recruitment representative can come in to talk about your medical organization and any open requisitions available so that the soon-to-be graduates can get a headstart on their careers.
4. Enhance Employee Well-Being During Crises
Employee burnout is inevitable in the healthcare workplace, but it is even more prominent during medical crises. Enhancing employee well-being during crises should be a high priority to ensure continued patient-centric care.
It’s best to offer mental health resources like referring your team to a counseling company or community support groups. Medical professionals build a strong mental backbone from helping patients with many ailments and conditions, but it could be mind-numbing after a while if they do not have someone to discuss their fears and concerns as proactive members of the healthcare field.
Work-life balance is essential to reduce employee burnout. Flexible scheduling options can help medical professionals properly balance their personal and work responsibilities. For example, having a 4-day work week with 12-hour shifts with 3 days off can be a great way to ensure healthcare workers fulfill their career duties and have enough time to live their lives, too.
5. Leverage Technology
Institute enhanced workflows by leveraging advanced healthcare industry technology. Electronic health records (EHR) can be easily accessible on the organizations’ computers to reduce the strain of sifting through pages of medical history to be informed about the patient. Allowing patients to self-schedule on an electronic portal can reduce how much time representatives are on the phone manually scheduling appointments. Such advanced technologies can ensure proficiency and efficiency in operations for ongoing patient care, especially during medical crises.
6. Foster Community Partnerships
Teamwork makes the dream work as the saying goes. Partnering with community initiatives such as universities, volunteer groups, and health organizations can get the word out about your open requisitions. Interested professionals affiliated with these community initiatives may be interested in onboarding with your company to enhance their career development. Hence, building your professional healthcare network is essential for maintaining a steady pipeline of medical talent.
