Nurses are professionals in great demand in Tempe, Arizona; without them, the different hospitals and healthcare centers simply can’t function. The nationwide nursing shortage is not new, still it’s increasingly difficult for hospitals and healthcare centers to source enough registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and certified nursing assistants (CNAs).
According to research commissioned by Nursa, an overwhelming majority (98 percent) of hospital and healthcare executives, CFOs, and managers report that nurse staffing is a “significant challenge”. Adaptable staffing solutions are necessary to meet not only short-term needs but medium- and long-term needs as well.
Nursa’s PRN staffing is the best solution for your Tempe, AZ, hospital or healthcare facility. Keep reading to learn why.
Hospitals in Tempe: Efficient Ways to Meet Nurse Staffing Needs
One explanation for the nursing shortage is that many nurses are retiring or nearing retirement. According to the 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the median age for RNs in the United States is 52. The survey also found that 20 percent of surveyed nurses around that age were considering retiring in the next five years.
Another fact to consider is that nursing schools need help to meet the demand for new nurses nationwide. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the following factors are contributing to the situation:
- The enrollments in nursing schools need to increase to meet the projected requirements in the field.
- Nursing schools have difficulties enrolling new students because they need more infrastructure and budget, among other things. In 2021, nursing schools rejected 91,938 qualified applications for different programs.
- Nursing schools are experiencing faculty shortages, which have also led to the rejection of many applicants.
Arizona and the Nursing Shortage Crisis
Arizona is among the top five states nationwide affected by the crisis; therefore, compromised patient care and nurse burnout are a significant concerns. Safe nurse-patient ratios allow nurses to effectively manage their tasks to provide quality care to their patients, but are challenging to achieve. Facilities struggle with high nurse turnover which compounds the nurse shortage problem.
Another factor to consider in the equation is how Arizona’s status as a popular retirement destination is growing the percentage of the older population in the state. Consequently, the demand for nurses is predicted to increase in subsequent years.
How Hospitals in Tempe Can Save Money
Tempe is home to around 190,000 residents and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. In this part of the state, the demand for nurses is greater than the supply. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the location quotient for RNs in the Tempe area is 0.87. A location quotient below one is under the national average for the availability of a given profession, therefore, Tempe’s RN location quotient indicates that hospitals and healthcare centers are looking for more nurses.
Recruiting RNs, LPNs, and CNAs in Tempe is becoming difficult for the hospitals and healthcare centers, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The advances in technology help healthcare facilities source per diem healthcare workers the tools to solve their staffing challenges.
There is an extensive online opportunity for hiring nurses on demand; therefore, the different hospitals in Tempe can use technology to address the shortage of nurses. Using Nursa, an online healthcare staffing platform, hospitals, and healthcare centers can save on staffing costs that come with having in-house staff and reduce the difficulties of finding nurses.
Nursa is a platform that allows healthcare facilities to post per diem shifts to meet their fluctuating staffing requirements. Per diem means “per day,” so contracting nurses per diem means that hospitals and other facilities can cover staffing needs on demand. It can help hospitals with their budget because they can contract nurses for individual shifts without the costs associated with internal staff.
Long-term care facilities and hospitals can post PRN shifts on Nursa.
Long-term care, often referred to as "post-acute" facilities, includes nursing homes, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, memory care, and others. Acute care includes hospitals and long-term acute care hospitals, or LTACHs.
What Happens When a Nurse Calls Off?
Usually, someone on staff has to cover the responsibilities left by the nurse who calls off. However, if the hospital already has a shortage of nurses, this can affect the quality of the hospital's services. So, how can you find a nurse at the last minute? Here is where responsive and immediate staffing solutions like Nursa can save the day. Nursa is a digital space where healthcare centers in cities such as Tempe can post per diem shifts, and local RNs, LPNs, and CNAs can look for per diem jobs.
Nursa allows direct contact between healthcare centers and RNs, LPNs, and CNAs. This is how hospital and facility managers fill the holes in the schedule quickly and without much paperwork. Filling scheduling gaps and reducing the burden on internal staff can help reduce nurse burnout and contribute to a more positive work culture for your healthcare staff.
Nursa: The Efficient Tool for Hiring Nurses
Nursa offers many benefits that traditional nurse staffing companies lack. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities aren’t held to contract minimums nor are they charged hire-away fees if they decide to hire a PRN nurse as internal staff.
With Nursa, facilities, and hospitals only pay for the shifts that are worked. Use Nursa only when you need it, and find local nurses and nursing assistants looking to pick up shifts. Register your facility and post PRN jobs today.
Sources:
