Why More Hospitals Should Consider the Supplemental Staffing Model
Hospitals have a variety of different staffing models to consider when they look at how they need and want to ensure they have enough nursing staff on hand. Supplemental staffing may fall through the cracks as an option, even though there are a variety of reasons that it can be incredibly appealing for a hospital administrator.
Temporary Nurses Are Just as Qualified
One of the biggest concerns that can sideline the supplemental staffing model is the mistaken belief that nurses who work in temporary settings are less qualified than permanent nurses are. The reality is that temporary nurses require the same training and the same certification requirements as nurses in permanent positions. The difference is that temporary nurses have chosen, for multitudes of reasons, to work in a variety of different settings, including hospitals.
Supplemental Staffing Is a Highly Flexible Model
Hospitals don’t experience the same work flow every single day or week. There are times when hospitals are not admitting as many patients and there are times when the workload seems never-ending. Using a supplemental staffing model enables hospital administration to increase their staff when that becomes necessary and to reduce staffing numbers when there aren’t as many patients. That flexibility makes the hospital able to accommodate changing needs very quickly.
Costs Balance Out
At first, supplemental staffing costs may seem to be less attractive than hiring permanent staff. When balanced out over time, however, and adding in other factors such as benefits and overtime, supplemental staffing costs can actually balance out to be not very far off from hiring permanent staff. This makes supplemental staffing even more attractive to hospital administrators.
Supplemental Staffing Relieves Shortages and Burnout
Several factors are unpredictable when it comes to making staffing decisions. There can be illnesses going around that cause nurses to call out sick themselves. This can create an unexpected shortage that has to be solved very quickly so that patients and the entire hospital aren’t impacted negatively. Another important factor is that shortages, particularly prolonged shortages, directly contribute to burnout in nursing staff. Having a way to quickly manage shortages, like with supplemental staffing, directly affects being able to reduce burnout risks.
Every hospital has different staffing needs, because the patients that each hospital services are all very different. Having a way to manage staffing quickly and efficiently makes a huge difference in being able to continue to serve the community according to the community’s needs.
