As we prepare for the winter flu season, on top of the ever-present COVID-19 concerns, facilities nationwide are turning to PRN staffing to help meet rising patient numbers as they continue simultaneously to shoulder the burdens of nursing shortages.
What your facility might not realize immediately is that aside from using PRN clinicians to help in the COVID-19 crisis response, there are clear benefits to utilizing PRN RNs, LPNs, and CNAs. Workforces in other industries are increasingly moving to freelancers, and gig workers. While working PRN in the nursing industry certainly isn't new, the path to hiring PRN staff has changed.
NursaTM is a PRN staffing agency that has created a digital platform to connect talented medical professionals to facilities in need of PRN staff. You can post to our platform for PRN shifts in real time, and have access nurses and nursing assistants, who want PRN work, in your surrounding communities.
Hiring PRN nursing staff can benefit your facility in these eight ways:
1. Save Your Facility Money by Hiring PRN Nursing Staff
Everyone knows that PRN clinicians make a higher hourly wage than regular employees, and while that's a perk for the PRN clinician his or herself, it's still a benefit for your facility. When you hire a CNA, LPN, or an RN for a PRN shift, you're paying them only the hourly wage. NursaTM assumes many costs associated with nursing staff compliance requirements such as required vaccinations and mask fit tests. You aren't responsible for paying them any of the other benefits that your regular staff enjoy. No retirement contributions, no health insurance, and no paid time off. You pay them only when they come to work for you.
2. Patient Numbers Increase and Decrease: PRN Staff Allow Your Facility Staffing Flexibility
Every medical setting has certain times of year when their patient intake increases. To keep your facility compliant with appropriate staff to patient ratios can be a challenge. Instead of hiring more full or part-time employees, augment your staff with PRN clinicians to ensure your quality patient care is maintained, but that you aren't responsible for paying more employees than you need when intake numbers drop back down.
3. Have the Staffing Numbers You Need Without Making a Long-Term Commitment
PRN nurses will work for you when you need them without an expectation of a full-time employment commitment from you. One major reason clinicians work PRN is that they like the variety of short term work. When their shift or their contract with you ends, that's it. Additionally, in the event that you are unhappy with them all, you need to do is report that information to our PRN staffing agency, and simply not hire that person for any more PRN work. No termination paperwork, or staff disciplinary measures necessary.
4. Hire PRN to Avoid Overtime
When work stacks up, company employees often end up working overtime to catch up. Instead, hire PRN staff for the regular duties to allow your regular staff the time to get caught up and avoid paying overtime. Alternatively, utilize PRN staff to cover times when many of your staff are on vacation, instead of getting creative with scheduling your full-time staff or paying several staffers overtime.
5. Hire PRN to Avoid Staff Burnout
Similar to the aforementioned benefit, hiring PRN clinicians can help your staff avoid burnout. When staff are overworked, or pulling double shifts to cover for a sick colleague, burnout potential rises. Hiring RNs, LPNs, or CNAs to fill in those shift vacancies will keep your staff from overworking and keep them safer from burnout.
6. Recruitment Opportunities
We've already emphasized the benefit that you don't have a commitment to the PRN clinicians who come to work in your facility. However, what if your facility is looking for a full-time employee, a clinician with a specific skill set? Our PRN staffing agency can provide talented and specialized clinicians, and you can hire them as PRN with no commitment as you observe and analyze how well they work in your facility's environment and with the other members of your staff. Consider this opportunity as a trial run for potential recruiting and hiring.
7. Save Your HR Department Time
While there is paperwork involved with hiring PRN nurses, NursaTM takes on a lot of the advance work for you. Your HR won't have to take the time involved in organizing applications and interviews to hire a full-time or part-time employee. Additionally, the usual orientation and training process that is part of the process for a new-hire is significantly reduced. PRN clinicians are great at acclimatizing to new environments quickly and dive right into work.
8. PRN Staff Adapt Quickly: Are Great for Crisis Response Situations
Because PRN clinicians are accustomed to working PRN shifts at various facilities and short term work contracts, their skills of adaptability are sharp. Some even specialize in crisis response. Don't let your staff become overwhelmed by trying to manage a COVID-19 case influx on their own. PRN crisis response nurses and assistants will react quickly, work efficiently, and share the burden while they are needed and then be on their way when the crisis settles.
Sign Up with NursaTM and Hire PRN Clinicians Right Away
We've made it simple and free for facilities. Download our smartphone application, register, and create a facility profile. Within the app, you enter all necessary information for the shifts you need to be covered, which should include the hourly rate, shift responsibilities, and the date and time. Once your PRN shift is posted, you are done. RNs, LPNs, and CNAs across your state will see your posting in real-time.
For any nurses that apply to cover your shift, you'll be able to review their skills and compliance documentation. If something is missing, you can request it, or simply move on to the next interested nurse. We've made it so that the clinicians come to you, instead of you going to them. Learn more about how Nursa™ connects facilities to qualified RNs, LPNs, and CNAs at our healthcare facilities page.
