Fall can be a stressful time of year for healthcare facilities as demand for care rises. The cold weather and return to school can lead to increased illnesses and injuries requiring medical attention. This may strain professionals in an understaffed healthcare facility.
In a hospital setting, inadequate staffing can lead to negative health consequences. In doctor offices, emergency rooms, and urgent cares, staffing issues can extend patient wait times and increase stress among nurses and allied health professionals.
Understanding the reasons behind the increased need for medical care can help facility managers plan. Supplementing full-time staff with an extended workforce can ensure excellent patient care even during the busiest shifts of the year.
What drives increases in patients?
For various reasons, clinics, offices, and hospitals may see a patient spike during the last quarter of the year. Both routine and acute care needs are part of the overall staffing picture.
- Rise in transmissible illnesses. The start of school can also bring about the start of COVID-19, cold, and flu season. With students near one another, they risk passing germs around the classroom. Respiratory infections can escalate and lead to hospitalization. Emergency facilities may need to increase staffing to support higher patient loads.
- Flu shot clinics. Flu shots are a good preventative healthcare practice but also increase traffic at urgent care clinics, primary care offices, and pharmacies. Adequate staffing for vaccine services allows patients to get their shots and get on their way without long wait times.
- Sports injuries. Fall sports season can bring a spate of injuries. Athletes may rush to an urgent care center or emergency for immediate care and a diagnosis. In the weeks following the injuries, they may need to follow up with radiology, physical therapy, orthopedics, or their primary care doctor. One survey shows October is among the busiest months for orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists, and physical therapists.
- Increase in elective procedures. The final quarter of the year can mean people are looking ahead to changes in insurance, spending down FSA funds, and scheduling elective procedures before their coverage changes or annual deductible amounts reset at the beginning of the next year. Surgical centers or hospitals may need additional staffing coverage for procedures and follow-up care.
Full-time staff absences during busy season
Unfortunately, many factors contributing to an increased need for medical care also affect healthcare workers. Professional staff may need to call out to care for an injured child or a sick grandparent. Nurses and other clinical staff may get sick themselves, particularly if they risk exposure to COVID-19, colds, and flu. Wet or icy weather might lead to injuries that have staff laid up for weeks, leaving gaps in scheduling.
When staff can’t come to work, their full-time colleagues may be required to pick up extra work to cover for them. There may be gaps in coverage that frustrate both staff and patients.
Staffing Shortages Have Negative Outcomes
Inadequate staffing levels can cause significant problems for staff and patients. Research has shown that lower staffing levels in hospitals result in missed care and poorer clinical outcomes. For example, patient ambulation was reported as always, frequently, or occasionally missed by 76% of nurses due to overwhelming workloads. Low staffing can result in missed medication doses, delayed wound care, and less patient attention.
Patients and their families can report dissatisfaction after visiting an understaffed facility. They may also not fully understand what follow-up care they need. In some cases, poor discharge communication can increase the readmission risk.
Staff feel the effects of overwork as well. Stress and fatigue are common among healthcare professionals, leaving staff vulnerable to burnout. A 2021 study in JAMA showed that 31.5% of nurses reported burnout as a reason for leaving their jobs.
Staffing Solutions for Healthcare Facilities
Staffing managers and facility administrators can take steps to prepare for busy times of the year. Anticipating staffing needs and having plans to meet those needs will improve patient outcomes and ease the strain on full-time staff.
- Study past trends. Look at admissions and procedure scheduling data from previous years. Past trends can outline what the facility can expect at various times of the year. Managers can use the information to create staffing estimates and identify where full-time staff would benefit from support from an extended workforce.
- Talk to full-time staff. Before implementing a plan to bring on per diem staff, ask full-time staff what needs they anticipate. They may have insights about the coming busy season that don’t appear on a calendar or spreadsheet. Develop plans that support their needs. In addition, ask staff to be timely with submitting time off requests. Coverage for holidays is a critical part of planning for November and December. Knowing where there will be gaps can aid in planning for staffing.
- Stay on top of current health information. Following infectious disease progress can be an invaluable tool for predicting healthcare needs. Global tracking for influenza and local reports of viruses like RSV or norovirus outbreaks are helpful predictors for urgent care visits and hospital admissions. Spikes in the incidence of illnesses can require short-term increases in clinical staffing.
- Build a robust training plan. Bringing in extended workforce professionals requires preparation. Managers and clinical staff can collaborate to create easy-to-digest resources for those on per diem shifts. Temporary and full-time staff must have a shared understanding of how they will work together. This prevents miscommunication and misunderstandings that might affect patient care.
Choosing the Right Options for Staffing the Busy Season
Your extended workforce can include nurses and allied health professionals who fulfill different needs for different lengths of time. Understanding the different categories of available professionals can inform how you recruit float staff.
- Per diem. Nurses available as needed can fill in when unexpected needs crop up. Thousands of nurses and allied healthcare professionals nationwide are ready to book shifts.
- Local assignments. Nurses and allied professionals seeking 4+ week assignments can be a vital resource for filling staffing gaps. These professionals may want to stay active in healthcare without committing to full-time work.
Medely’s Online Staffing Solutions
Medely’s online talent marketplace is a comprehensive, easy-to-use solution for surgical centers, post-acute facilities, urgent care clinics, and hospitals. Medely’s platform allows facilities to quickly access a wide array of credentialed nurses and allied health professionals available for per diem or longer assignments.
Creating a Medely account for your facility is free, and you can post per diem shifts and assignments to meet your exact needs with no minimums or maximums.
Begin preparing for the busy season right away. Set up your free account now and start connecting with qualified healthcare professionals.
If you already have a Medely account, log in to Medely to post a shift or assignment!
