Staffing gaps happen. Some turnover waves can’t be predicted. This is a hospital administrator’s nightmare, as a shortage in physicians and advanced practitioners can have a ripple effect in the level of care patients receive.

How Hospitals Can Address Staffing Shortages

Using a combination of technology and staffing firms can be your best defense and offense in these situations. While no one person can be simply be replaced by a machine, a person with the right tools/machine can be that much more efficient if there are labor gaps. This will be the trend for years to come.

Technology Can Help During Labor Shortages

The healthcare industry continues to see a boom, where often there is a greater need for physicians and advanced practitioners than there is a force to fill that need. Technology can bridge the gap until the positions can be filled. Even after new candidates are hired, you’ll benefit from the streamlined processes of your technological improvements.

Two such technology solutions are:

  1. Apps. Many medical apps can help with efficiency or can serve as a patient touchpoint. However, apps can experience downtime and require updates in order to continue performing optimally. They are a large investment that can help during labor shortages but are not a substitute for hiring the right people.
  2. Upgraded Systems. Having an efficient system means that doctors and advanced practitioners can spend more time with patients and less time on the computer. And during times of staffing gaps, this can further help since a smaller number of medical professionals can treat a larger number of patients. However, overworking your medical staff can lead to burnout, which will create further problems down the road. You should view system upgrades as something that needs to happen anyway to improve the efficiency of your processes and allow medical professionals more time with patients. But it is only a temporary solution to an understaffing issue.

The Best Solution for Staffing Gaps

While technology can help during a labor shortage—and can continue to streamline processes once new staff is hired—there is really no substitute for having the right number of qualified medical professionals on your team.

If you need help filling physician and advanced practitioner jobs at your hospital or healthcare facility, consider working with an experienced medical recruiting firm like Enterprise Medical Recruiting. We understand your recruitment needs and challenges and can help you find medical talent and screen candidates for the positions you’re looking to fill. Contact us today to see how we can help!