29 Aug How Frequently do Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities Rely on Staffing Agencies?
There are many staffing agencies out there that help provide hospitals with staff to help them with their staffing needs during times of sudden demand. As we know now, they are perfect for a crisis, but how often do Hospitals utilize staffing agencies under normal circumstances?
Hospitals frequently rely on medical staffing agencies, even when there is not a massive shortage of healthcare professionals. The medical industry is hard to staff, especially for leadership roles, such as senior and mid-level management positions. It is also challenging to staff clerical positions. Staffing agencies also play a massive role in smaller hospitals, where it is harder to find adequate staff. Some hospitals even say that working with staffing firms has helped them cope with severe shortages.
Why is Staffing Hospitals so Difficult?
Currently, hospitals are facing significant healthcare staffing challenges. There are a variety of different reasons as to why staffing hospitals is hard. Some believe that it links to the constant, and long hours that workers need to endure. Oftentimes, residents even say they sometimes work close to 72-hour shifts with only a few breaks where they get to nap and eat.
It may also be a reflection of how human resources prioritize their tasks. Seldom do their jobs put the workers first, which in return causes other workers to feel neglected. Thus, they quit in search of more accomodating employment. Sadly, this is how hospitals lose many talented residents. The job is stressful enough without overworking them to the point of quitting.
When staffing is short in hospitals, the only recourse that health professionals have is to go through a staffing agency.
Hospitals Continue Returning to Staffing Agencies to Fill Their Needs
Staffing agencies are becoming increasingly popular, considering 40% of the current nurses are over 50 years old. That means they will be retiring soon, but it also means that they are more susceptible to taking time off due to illness.
Considering that hospitals prefer to hire people straight out of college, it is even harder to fill positions due to the low graduate pool. However, that isn’t due to a lack of applicants. In 2018, budget and staffing constraints caused education establishments to turn away 75,000 qualified applicants!
Due to this top-heavy shortage of healthcare professionals, the need for staffing agencies is rapidly increasing. Therefore, hospitals are relying heavily on staffing agencies versus hiring personally.
If you want to find out more information about hiring medical staff through an agency, contact Hiring Medicals today.
No Comments