The holidays can be a challenging time for nursing staff and facility managers, making the usual challenge of finding quality nursing staff even trickier. Whether it is Christmas, Kwanza, Hannakauh, or Diwali, people generally prefer to spend this time with their families.
Healthcare facilities can’t operate smoothly without adequate nursing staff. Nursing shortages are a common problem in nursing facilities and across the United States. Research shows that insufficient staffing increase the stress level of nurses by 98% and lowers the quality of patient care by 93%. Facility managers must carefully try to avoid nursing shortages while showing compassion to those who have to work during the holidays.Â
Here are three ways to avoid nursing shortages and patient neglect during the holidays:
1. Use temporary hiring agencies
Facility managers can prepare for staff shortages during the holidays by using temporary hiring agencies. Nurse staffing agencies already have a large pool of qualified candidates to choose from so they can help fill shifts in a timely manner. Although outsourcing HR services may not be the most cost-effective method of hiring a capable candidate, it expedites the hiring process and alleviates the extra workload from your own facility’s HR department.
2. Celebrate at work
Work hard to make your nursing facility a fun place to be. Encourage fun activities and celebrations amongst staff and residents during the holidays. Sickness and injuries do not pause during this time of year, but there are things that a facility manager can do to make work more bearable. Things such as decorating the hallways or bringing in entertainment can encourage nurses to come in during the holidays. It helps nurses work a lighter shift and enjoy the lively atmosphere with their patients. This gesture is a simple yet efficient way to encourage nurses to work during the holidays.
3. Introduce ESHYFT to your facility
ESHYFT is a technology which connects nursing facilities to nearby CNAs, LPNs, and RNs. Unlike traditional staffing agencies, with ESHYFT, facility managers choose the hourly rate they’re comfortable with paying for a shift. It’s easy and quick to post shifts for nearby CNAs, LPNs, and RNs to pick up.
Instead of outsourcing HR services, or excessively spending on overtime staffing, hiring nurses per diem on ESHYFT can solve nursing shortages.
ESHYFT is an application that allows facility managers to post open shifts for nurses. It directly connects facility managers with qualified CNAs, LPNs, and RNs, which increases the flexibility of scheduling during the holidays. Once a nurse applies for a shift, facility managers are alerted and can review the profile of each applicant. Once an applicant is accepted, they work the shift and submit a digital timecard, which the facility manager will need to approve before the nurse can get paid.
Many nurses seek out per diem nursing jobs due to personal obligations or the need for a better work-life balance. ESHYFT tackles these challenges and makes filling shifts a seamless process. With the growing demand of nurses, it is important for facility managers to recruit and seamlessly schedule shifts, especially during the holidays.
