Having a talented staff is necessary to operate an effective healthcare organization that offers exceptional patient care. All employees must be trained and knowledgeable, or they risk putting patients’ lives at risk. Qualified healthcare workers ensure the facility runs smoothly and safely.
The need for talented healthcare staff members has always been important, but it is even more so in the present age. The large Baby Boomer population is growing older, and so are their healthcare needs. At the same time, there are not sufficient medical professionals to keep up with the demand. The healthcare industry, which recently became the largest employer in the U.S. , is struggling to keep up. Many hospitals and wellness centers are desperate to fill positions quickly in order to treat more patients. When they hire rapidly, they risk bringing inexperienced staff members onto the team.
Healthcare facilities must keep in mind that the cost of hiring poor quality employees can be extremely high. When facilities hire talented healthcare professionals, patient satisfaction and patient care both rise. The adverse is true when inexperienced workers are hired.
Unqualified healthcare workers can make a negative impact on the organization as a whole. Workers with little experience are more likely to:
Make more mistakes with patients. Untrained nurses and physicians are more likely to make errors that could put a patient’s life at risk. When hospitals have poorly trained staff members or they are short on staff, complication and infection rates rise. There are also more medication errors, such as administering the wrong dose of medication or giving the medicine of one patient to another, and the length of the patient stay is negatively affected.
Damage the facility’s reputation. The reputation of a healthcare facility is partially dependent on the staff who interact with patients every day. If an organization unknowingly hires an employee with a history of misconduct or any criminal acts, its reputation is on the line. There could also be legal costs or liabilities from patients who are treated by an unqualified worker.
Lower patient satisfaction. Patients want to be treated by someone who is knowledgeable and experienced. Their perception of the entire organization will depend on whether they felt like their physician or nurse was skilled or not. An employee’s poor attitude can also impact the patient. Studies showed that for every 10 percent of nurses who reported job dissatisfaction, the number of patients recommending the hospital decreases by two percent. Healthcare staffers who are negative or have a poor attitude about their position can leave a bad impression on patients.
Added pressure for existing staff. If a healthcare employee makes mistakes or is not working efficiently, existing staff members are expected to pick up the slack. The healthcare industry is already a stressful environment, but the additional work can lead to employee burnout. Over time, the organization might lose workers it cannot afford to see go.
Delays the organization’s goals and objectives. The entire company can be impacted by a few rotten eggs. Poorly qualified healthcare employees might create workflow efficiencies or deliver poor patient care. Experienced employees must fix errors or spend time retraining the new worker. Sometimes, resentment and stress can build between staff members and lead to lower staff satisfaction. While the company is cleaning up messes, the organization’s big goals and objectives are pushed to the side. In the end, a few inexperienced employees can have significant impacts on the quality of care and patient safety.
The fear of hiring the wrong person is especially strong when organizations are filling positions with contingent workers. Organizations are often forced to make decisions quickly about a candidate.
Hospitals, clinics, assisted living centers, and other healthcare facilities can save the stress that comes with hiring inexperienced employees by making small changes to their hiring processes. When hiring both full-time and contingent workers, there needs to be proper screening to ensure the new hires are sufficiently trained and a good fit for the organization.
How a VMS can Help
A VMS, or vendor management system, allows healthcare organizations to properly manage their contingent staff members. A VMS can help organizations source, screen and contract quality contingent workers, all in a short amount of time.
The faster the hiring process, the sooner the organization can get the position filled. VMS systems find perfect candidates and schedule them quickly, before other competitors can snatch up quality candidates. Healthcare facilities that lag in filling positions (or fill the openings with the wrong people) will likely experience patient dissatisfaction and a decrease in patient safety.
VMS software helps healthcare organizations find and manage the best contingent workers. The software is beneficial for several reasons.
VMS accurately verifies qualifications and credentials. Healthcare facilities need to ensure that they hire credible, qualified employees. VMS software tracks pending and expired eligibility requirements so healthcare facilities always make the appropriate hire. With VMS, it is easier for healthcare organizations to be compliant with federal, state and local laws. VMS can also re-screen rehires at routine intervals to ensure their credentials are up to date.
VMS pair quality workers with the right positions. The software makes it easy for companies to set up their requirements and needs, then find a worker that meets the criteria for the position. VMS knows what red flags to look for, and it can match people with positions that are a good fit for the individual and for the company.
VMS tracks performance. In order for healthcare facilities to maintain talented workers, they need to be able to track their performance. Often times, contingent workers return to the facility after their contracted time. If the facility accurately assesses the worker’s performance with an aggregate score or grade, it can reference the information in the future. Organizations can keep track of high-performing contingent workers and hire them again when they are available. The software can offer real-time reports on staff evaluation grades, as well as other KPIs.
Healthcare facilities that use VMS can efficiently find staff and consistently access talented workers. VMS software helps organizations improve their patient care by taking care of all contingency staffing issues.
References
1. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/01/health-care-america-jobs/550079/
2. https://www.mededwebs.com/blog/well-being-index/is-nurse-burnout-on-the-rise-startling-statistics-on-nurse-well-being