Nurse staffing. Healthcare management. Patient safety.
Nursa offers a reliable healthcare staffing solution to meet the urgent healthcare demand in Indianapolis, IN. Nursa connects you directly with low-cost, high-quality local healthcare professionals on short notice. This article delves into the Indianapolis healthcare scene, covering staffing challenges and ways to find the nurses you need.
What Are Some Healthcare Dilemmas in Indianapolis?
The demand for health services is shaped by chronic health issues, social determinants of health, and public awareness, among other factors. There are variations from one population to another. However, staffing demand exists throughout all healthcare settings.
Indianapolis faces disturbing disparities in health outcomes. One telling and undeniable indicator is life expectancy. In the lowest-income areas, the average lifespan is at an alarming low of 68 years, similar to countries like Rwanda or Bolivia.
However, just a 20-minute drive away within the same metro, life expectancy is up to over 84, similar to Japan or Switzerland.
In Indianapolis, 16 miles means 16 more years, the difference between different neighborhoods regarding distance and life expectancy.
It is an eye-opener to the diversity of patients that hospital nursing staff care for.
Healthcare facilities may receive patients from diverse social and economic situations and need nursing staff capable of responding with cultural competency. Some of the following facts about Indianapolis may surprise you.
Cultural Diversity
Did you know that Indiana has the largest Burmese population outside of Burma (Myanmar)? This prosperous community of over 30,000 Burmese, mainly of the Chin people, often experiences obstacles to effective communication, such as limited English or feeling “othered.” Cultural competency and trust depend on communication, and bilingual nurses are in high demand.
The Indianapolis metropolitan area also has thousands of Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic speakers, and it is known as one of the US cities with outstanding refugee programs.
Indianapolis steps up to meet the needs of foreign-born or refugee populations, including the following key initiatives, to mention a few:
- The Indiana Department of Health Refugee Health Program provides essential health assessments and referrals for ongoing care.
- The Marion County Foreign-born/Refugee Health Program collaborates with local resettlement agencies, such as Exodus Refugee and Catholic Charities, to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate health screenings and assessments.
- Cultural competency training is offered by the University of Indiana School of Medicine, the Training Center of Indianapolis, and MHAI Stanley W. DeKemper Training Institute, among others.
Housing
Although rental prices are relatively low in Indianapolis, less than the national average, the prices are rising.
- Many Hoosiers spend over half their income on housing.
- Housing insecurity is rising in Indianapolis and is higher than the national average.
- Families that face eviction due to a hard time paying the rent may not prioritize healthcare and end up with emergencies.
Delayed access to healthcare complicates the work of healthcare providers, with the increased complexity of cases, higher costs, impacts on patient trust and engagement, and overwhelming numbers of patients in the emergency room.
Staffing Struggles
In addition to the social and economic factors that make healthcare more challenging, facilities struggle with internal issues. The fluctuating need for short-term or PRN staffing, the administrative burden of traditional staffing, and regulatory concerns all demand attention and time from facility administrators.
- Patient Census: The number of inpatients at any given time, also referred to as the patient census, can vary unpredictably in acute-care facilities and impacts emergency staffing needs. Healthcare managers must balance a favorable nurse-to-patient staffing ratio with low costs. They are often looking for more short-term nurses to handle higher numbers of patients, perhaps due to a flu outbreak, the holiday season, or overwhelming natural disasters.
- Regulatory Concerns: In April 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandated new staffing requirements for nursing homes, stipulating 3.48 hours of nursing care per resident per day. In Indiana, even if facilities can shoulder the cost, they may have difficulties finding sufficient qualified nurses to comply with the regulations.
- Nursing Shortage: Indiana has around 4,300 job openings for nurses annually and will need an additional 5,000 nurses by 2031 to provide healthcare for an aging population. In other words, on average, Indiana must train and license 1,300 additional nurses annually until 2030 to meet the state’s healthcare needs.
Nursa connects facilities directly with the nurses they need to face the healthcare demand and comply with regulations. See how Nursa can help you.
What Does Nursa Do for Healthcare Managers?
If you are a scheduler, a director of nursing (DON), or a healthcare manager, you shoulder the responsibility of having enough high-quality nurses on duty. To do this without going beyond budgetary limits is indeed a daunting challenge. Nursa will help you find dependable PRN nurses in Indianapolis, IN, taking charge of the following:
- Finding nurses for you to choose from and putting you and the nurses in direct contact
- Conducting credential verification so you can safely select clinicians
- Streamlining paperwork to post job openings, track candidates, and communicate with job applicants all in one platform
With Nursa, you can access a larger pool of skilled and credentialed nurses faster and more cost-effectively and fill gaps in record time. You can use Nursa to find short-term temporary nurses to contract by the shift. You can also use it as a long-term recruitment strategy. Nursa allows you to observe new nurses on the job and choose the sterling few to recruit as staff. Find out more about Nursa’s product and services.
Why Is Nursa Your Top Staffing Solution in Indianapolis?
Nurse saves you money, time, and stress. It is an excellent healthcare staffing solution in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the following reasons:
- Lower Costs: You pay for the shifts worked, eliminating fees for nurse staffing agencies or staffing companies in Indianapolis, IN, and other overhead expenses.
- Transparency: There are no surprises. You choose the pricing structure and approve the price before posting each shift. Want help pricing your shifts? Nursa can provide dynamic, data-driven guidance.
- Efficiency: Nursa leverages cutting-edge technology to facilitate flexible scheduling and on-demand staffing and find the lowest cost reliable nurses.
- Lower Stress: You can stop scrambling to fill vacancies. You post the shift, and Nursa connects you with qualified nurses whose qualifications match your requirements.
Both nurses and facilities benefit from flexibility, financial transparency, and real-time accessibility.
Time-saving technology benefits facilities, nurses, and patients. If you need to speak with someone to ask a question, Nursa has a support team near you that you can contact anytime. Nursa is your partner in PRN staffing.
How Does Nursa Work?
Whether you work in acute or post-acute care facility staffing, an LTAC, or a hospital, with PRN staffing, you can find the registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) that you need on short notice. Register online by following these simple steps:
- Download Nursa and register for free.
- Add your name and contact information, connect your facility, and wait for verification.
- Create a compliance list to define your clinician requirements.
- Post open shifts and add instructions.
- Review the applications you receive and schedule the clinicians you need.
You will have a clear overview of all scheduled shifts and automated notifications of confirmations, cancellations, and changes, keeping you informed and reducing the likelihood of miscommunications. Register with Nursa, post your vacant shifts, and find the staff you need.
Sources:
- Worldometer: Life Expectancy of the World Population
- Midstory: Greater Indianapolis Hosts a Thriving Burmese Community
- Eskenazi Health: Social Determinants of Health
- National Low Income Housing Coalition: The Gap﹘A Shortage of Affordable Homes
- Indiana Hospital Association: Nursing Indiana Back to Health
- U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities