Like many other healthcare organizations around the U.S., you are suffering from a staffing crisis. The pandemic created a shortage of full-time nurses leaving you in a bind. If you are debating whether to hire per diem nurses rather than full-time nurses, here are some factors to consider to help you decide.
- Shortage: Nurse staffing has been problematic for a while, but COVID has made the shortage even worse. The president of the American Nurses Association believes the pandemic caused a perfect storm of exodus where many nurses retired, left because of the involved risk and increasing hours, or suffered from COVID burnout and fatigue.
The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation poll cites that 3 in 10 health care workers have considered leaving the profession, and 6 in 10 say the pandemic has burned them out. 2020 marked the largest retirement of nurses ever recorded in the United States. What will the future bring? Experts predict that by 2022 we will have a nursing shortage totaling an estimated 1.1 million.
What does this mean for you? As nurses leave the healthcare industry in droves or obtain more lucrative options as traveling nurses, attaining high-quality nurses is even harder today than it has been in the past.
- Budget: The lack of available nurses has created a boom for nursing professionals, driving salaries up to four times the norm in this competitive job market. When determining how much it would cost to onboard a salaried nurse professional, don’t forget to factor in the perks required to draw top talent. Besides a competitive salary, many competitors are offering lucrative sign-on bonuses and other enticements like professional development and training, better work/life balance, and more paid days off. Do you have the budget to offer salaries/ perks to attract the best nurses?
If your budget is already tight, you can meet short-term needs without the expense that comes with hiring new nurses to your staff with per diem nurses. Using per diem nurses to handle the ebb and flow of your healthcare facility or practice can help you stay within your budget and still provide excellent care to your patients.
- Demand: How soon do you need someone? Now? Can you afford to wait weeks or months to hire someone permanently? Are there certain days of the week, months of the year or holidays that you know you will be short-staffed? You can easily and quickly employ highly qualified nurses to fill short-term needs with per diem professionals rather than with fixed-cost employees.
- Pool of Candidates: Do you have a pool of reliable per diem staff ready to step in when needed? While some healthcare facilities do, these pools are no longer as robust as they once were. If you don’t have access to a pool of candidates, GigWorx can help you in a snap to fill in the gap.
With our database of pre-screened, fully-vetted nurses, we can find you the right certified healthcare professionals. Fill out the form and let’s get started today!
