Nurses are the backbone of healthcare delivery. Unfortunately, the country is currently experiencing one of the worst nurse staffing crises in history. A 2023 AMN Healthcare survey shows that 89% of registered nurse (RN) respondents believe that the nursing shortage is worse than five years ago.
This article provides an overview of the top reasons behind the staffing shortage and how travel nursing agencies such as Meda Health can help healthcare organizations optimize patient care delivery and improve care outcomes.
Top reasons why there’s a nursing staffing shortage in the US
Nurses are experiencing burnout
Nurses have been feeling physically, mentally, and psychologically distressed, especially since the global pandemic of 2020 began. During the height of Covid-19, around 40 to 80% of nurses worldwide experienced feelings of burnout.
Aside from adverse health consequences, including chronic pain, gastrointestinal distress, and depression, burnout is also associated with reduced job performance, poor quality of care, and medication errors. The number one reason why nurses quit is the feeling of being overworked.
The nursing workforce is aging and there are fewer newly licensed nurses
With the median age of RNs in the country being 46 years and approximately one million RNs older than 50 years are expected to retire by 2030, the workforce is undeniably aging and nearing retirement.
On top of the vast number of experienced nurses retiring, fewer nurses have been licensed to practice the profession in recent years. In fact, in 2022, there are fewer than 205,000 licensed RNs who entered the field.
Nurses are quitting the profession
Almost one-third of the entire US nursing population is considering quitting after having been left overwhelmed and fatigued by the pandemic.
And it’s not just experienced nurses leaving, new nurses are also opting to resign earlier. Because they lack supervisor and peer support and experience a variety of workplace challenges, 18% of new nurses leave the profession after only a year of working.
How travel nursing agencies help hospitals and healthcare facilities with their staffing needs
Streamlining administrative operations
Travel nursing agencies assist hospitals and clinics with their staffing needs by taking care of recruiting, vetting, credentialing, onboarding, and assessing applicants. Staffing agencies also take charge of scheduling and dealing with employees’ salaries, bonuses, stipends, and reimbursements. By doing the heavy administrative lifting, healthcare organizations can focus on managing their in-house teams and providing exemplary patient care.
Travel nursing agencies with experienced recruiters, like the ones Meda Health has, go the extra mile and match skilled healthcare professionals with facilities that need them most. Meda Health recruiters and client support team ensure that both employees and clients receive 24/7 support.
Enabling facilities to fill specialized roles and meet fluctuating patient demands
With travel nursing agencies, healthcare organizations will not be limited to a pool of local talents. Travel nursing agencies recruit healthcare professionals with different specialties and experience levels from different states to fill critical staffing needs across the nation.
In the case of Meda Health’s recruiters who have decades of experience under their belts, they employ right-fit matchmaking, which prioritizes not just the skill level, experience, and specialization, but also applicants’ preferences and career goals, ensuring successful placements that work for both the employee and the facility.
Travel nursing agencies also enable healthcare facilities to tend to fluctuating patient volumes, emergencies, and seasonal demands. By swiftly filling critical employee gaps with quality talents, healthcare facilities will have additional healthcare personnel who can seamlessly work with your existing workforce and help handle high patient volumes, and deliver quality patient care.
Meda Health specializes in placing highly skilled travel nursing and allied health professionals in various facilities and industries. Contact us today to find the right travel health professionals who will become valuable additions to your team.
