Welcome to the ShiftMed blog where we discuss everything nursing, from professional insights to healthcare holidays to helpful hints for working with us.
Nursing may be a profession taken for granted in the U.S. (just like teachers), but the numbers speak differently to their value. As a career, there’s a lot of flexibility, stability, and earning potential working as a nurse.
In recent years, the healthcare industry has faced an unprecedented increase in demand for skilled nursing professionals. As hospitals and health systems grapple with persistent staffing challenges, the utilization of travel nurses has emerged as a popular solution. These temporary healthcare providers are often deployed to fill critical gaps in staffing, ensuring continuity of care and alleviating the burden on permanent staff.
While there was already a shortage of skilled nursing staff and other healthcare workers prior to the pandemic, the past three years have pushed the shortage to critical levels. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are 2.1 million job openings in healthcare, which is expected to grow to 3.2 million by 2026 as baby boomers age and require more care.
The healthcare industry is facing a severe nursing shortage, and the impact of this crisis is being felt across the board. The shortage affects health systems in many ways, but one of the most significant impacts is operating budgets. As health systems struggle to maintain staffing levels, they rely on expensive agency contracts and travel nurses, contributing to budget instability. At the same time, labor costs continue to rise, making it challenging to maintain a balanced budget.
In today's digital age, health systems are inundated with an overwhelming amount of healthcare software and technology platforms that are critical for managing patient care and employee retention. However, this excess of healthcare software leads to major interoperability challenges, ultimately impacting patient outcomes and staff satisfaction.
Population health management is a proactive approach to healthcare that focuses on improving the health outcomes of entire patient populations. It involves collecting, analyzing, and managing patient data to identify health disparities, healthcare access, and healthcare costs. With technology and value-based care, healthcare providers can deliver patient-centered care emphasizing prevention, early intervention, and patient engagement.
Whether you handle nurse staffing at a small skilled nursing facility or a large hospital system, you have your work cut out. As the nursing shortage continues, so does the uphill battle of maintaining optimal staffing levels and positive patient outcomes without adding labor costs. While no easy feat, winning the battle is possible with the proper artillery. That's where ShiftMed and UKG Dimensions™ come in.
