The nursing shortage has made traditional staffing approaches obsolete. Rigid schedules and fixed staffing ratios fail to adapt to the dynamic nature of patient care needs, causing healthcare organizations to close medical departments or end services due to inadequate staffing.
Healthcare organizations that continue to operate as usual but consistently struggle with shift fulfillment should consider an alternative staffing approach or risk a similar fate. One strategy for maintaining adequate staffing levels and driving better patient outcomes is balancing internal and external labor.
The On-Demand Solution
On-demand healthcare platforms, such as ShiftMed, offer direct access to an external float pool of local credentialed nurses ready to fill shifts as needed.
- On-demand nurses provide clinical support when internal nurses hit unsafe and expensive overtime status, enabling organizations to reduce labor costs and maintain care continuity.
- On-demand nurses quickly and efficiently fill scheduling gaps caused by unexpected surges in patient volumes and acuity levels.
- On-demand nurses reduce dependence on travel nurses, helping organizations minimize long-term contracts and adapt staffing costs based on patient census.
- On-demand nurses help offset heavy workloads, enhancing patient care and preventing internal employees from experiencing burnout.
Beyond filling vacancies, on-demand healthcare platforms also serve as a bridge-to-hire solution that significantly reduces recruitment costs. Organizations can nurture potential candidates and seamlessly transition them to permanent positions.
Transformative Results
Healthcare systems, such as LCMC Health and SSM Health, are finding success with on-demand healthcare. These systems use ShiftMed to offer flexible nurse scheduling, reduce reliance on external staffing agencies, and test new shift types.
Since adopting an on-demand healthcare model, SSM Health has seen improvements in turnover rates and engagement scores. The healthcare system has also saved $85 million annually over COVID-19 highs.
Furthermore, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital (SLUH) achieved an annualized savings of $9 million in its medical-surgical units with ShiftMed.
Streamlined Integration
On-demand healthcare platforms, like ShiftMed, seamlessly integrate with vendor management systems, managed service providers, and workforce management platforms, allowing organizations to synchronize internal and external labor pool data. Healthcare organizations do not have to make system changes with ShiftMed. Its flexible on-demand technology easily integrates with various credentialing, scheduling, payroll, and HRIS platforms.
The healthcare industry must embrace innovation and adopt a forward-thinking approach to nurse staffing. There needs to be more than the status quo to meet the complex demands of modern healthcare delivery. Through on-demand healthcare, hospitals and health systems can usher in a new era of excellence in patient care while driving sustainable success.
Visit shiftmed.com to learn more about on-demand healthcare.
Connect with Larry Adams on LinkedIn.