Medely’s team joined Skilled Nursing News for their Staffing Summit to share how optimizing your workforce can help prevent healthcare worker burnout and improve staffing efficiency.
Our VP of Sales, Philip Galligan talked with Skilled Nursing News to show healthcare leaders the best ways to prevent healthcare worker burnout at their skilled nursing facility by reducing expensive overtime with per diem nurses, increasing happiness and retention for full-time staff, maximizing staffing efficiency to create a sustainable workforce, and eliminating staffing challenges in the future with advanced technology.
Check out the full webinar recording here to maximize workforce efficiency and learn how to get the right coverage to prevent healthcare worker burnout.
Table of Contents
- The root of the problem
- How to reduce expensive overtime and book per diem nurses
- How to increase retention of current full-time staff
- Future-proof staffing to maintain the coverage you need and never be understaffed and underwater
- Medely and Skilled Nursing News Staffing summit webinar replay
The root of the problem
- Burnout. 37% of nurses at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are experiencing burnout, the highest rate among healthcare workers.
- High turnover rates. 55–75% for certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs), exacerbate the staffing crisis.
- Persistent staffing shortages. There is an estimated national shortage of 1.2M direct care workers by 2030.
- This results in loss of revenue for healthcare facilities.
Medely’s own Nurses Sentiment Survey found that 60% of nurses said they felt overwhelmed or exhausted at work within the last year. And, over half (56%) said not enough staff coverage was the cause of this exhaustion.
Additionally, there are ongoing staffing challenges in long-term care, and the situation may get even tougher as the new minimum staffing requirements from CMS go into effect.
The financial realities for skilled nursing facilities show that on an analysis of cost report and payroll data, the price tag for meeting these new mandates could range from $3.8 billion for the lowest ratio all the way up to $11.3 billion for the highest level.
And keep in mind, nearly 60% of SNFs are already operating at a loss, even after the pandemic funding. Pile on billions more in staffing costs with no additional reimbursement? That’s going to push a lot of facilities over the edge financially.
But the challenges don’t stop at just the costs. The industry would need to hire between 58,000 to 191,000 new full-time employees to comply. In an industry already struggling with workforce shortages, that seems like an almost impossible ask.
If facilities can’t find that staff, the only option may be reducing census by cutting admissions or beds, which could mean hundreds of thousands of residents displaced from their homes.
It’s a perfect storm – sharply rising costs, crippling workforce shortages, and the threat of displacing vulnerable residents. There has to be a better way, so let’s explore how to prevent healthcare worker burnout and maximize workforce efficiency to keep staff happy and keep up with patient demand.
1.) Reduce expensive overtime and book per diem nurses
Coverage is a number one concern for healthcare facilities, but the leaders in healthcare charged with finding coverage have few options, none of which are cost-effective.
The first option is offering overtime to nurses and health professionals on your permanent staff. While this can be a great opportunity for staff to make some extra money, it can also lead to burnout and churn when the facility relies too heavily on its current staff to fill those holes.
With a solution like Medely, leaders can offer overtime first to their staff, and also have a secret weapon where they can easily book highly qualified, credentialed per diem nurses and health professionals at the click of a button on Medely’s platform. (And the outlook for PRN nursing is high and expected to grow.)
They post the shift and a nurse or health professional picks that shift up the same day, keeping the staff happy and patient needs met.
One of our customers actually said that when their nurses in the trenches saw that they were being supported with additional staff, it actually caused a visible uplift in the happiness of their culture. See the full story here.
2.) Increase retention of current full-time staff
Staff retention in skilled nursing facilities is extremely challenging. That’s due to a couple of reasons:
According to the NIH, nearly 1/3 of the nursing workforce could be retiring in the next decade.
The Baby Boomer generation of nurses is retiring, and the younger generation is coming in looking for more work-life balance and benefits.
40% of nurses churn in their first year on the job.
In 5 years, a facility can churn 100% of the new nurse hires.
Plus, it costs $20-60K to find a new nurse and then train them.
So, what’s the solution? Foster a positive work environment and show appreciation to your staff. (Learn more about how nurses want to be shown appreciation in our Nurses Sentiment Survey report here.) You can do that by offering gifts, meals, and continuing education for your RNs and CNAs. This helps build community and allows those nurses to see future opportunities with the facility. Some facilities even offer tuition reimbursement or discounted onsite programs. Leaders can also make sure that their staff is taking vacation time/time off and limit a large amount of overtime for current staff. It’s important that your staff knows they can take a break when they need it.
Also, leaders can add per diem nurses and health professionals to their extended workforce with a platform like Medely to prevent healthcare worker burnout and exhaustion, offer incentives, and show appreciation.
3.) Maximize staffing efficiency
The best way to ensure coverage is to create a modern, sustainable, thriving workforce.
Modern staffing technology streamlines staffing, scheduling, and management of healthcare professionals in skilled nursing facilities. At Medely, we offer all of these elements plus credentialing – relieving the administrative burden of getting the necessary coverage, which allows you to prevent healthcare worker burnout for those teams as well.
4.) Future-proof staffing to maintain the coverage you need and never be understaffed and underwater
Take these strategies into the future by eliminating challenges faced by skilled nursing facilities with streamlined processes and technology that does all the scheduling, billing, and credentialing.
And, utilize an extended workforce including a local talent pool provided by Medely so you’re always covered and able to provide the best possible care to your patients.
Our tools can potentially offset some of the costs of new staffing mandates while protecting the quality of care. These innovative approaches, combined with sustainable funding, will be key for long-term care to meet heightened standards without compromising access.
Watch the full webinar recording below.
Medely and Skilled Nursing News Staffing Summit Webinar Recap
Recommended Posts
- Nurse Retention Strategies and How to Lower Burnout: Medely Nurses Sentiment Survey 2024 Report
- Measuring the ROI of Extended Workforce Strategies in Healthcare
- Tips on how to book per diem shifts from nurses and healthcare professionals
- The Impact of Staffing Shortages on Patient Care and Outcomes
At Medely, we understand the critical impact staffing shortages can have on your facility. Our platform helps address staffing shortages and improve patient outcomes. Join thousands of healthcare facilities already benefiting from Medely’s:
- ■ Rapid Staffing Solutions
- ■ Qualified and Verified Healthcare Professionals
- ■ Easy Scheduling and Communication
- ■ 24/7 Support and Flexibility