Are you looking for a solution to your staffing challenges?
There is nothing new to say about the nursing shortage, but what about the solutions?
Here you can find flexible and cost-efficient healthcare staffing solutions in Greenwood, SC.
Administrators, schedulers, and nursing directors need to rethink staffing to adapt to the current situation in Greenwood. Traditional nurse staffing companies add bureaucracy, time, and higher costs to the contracting process, making them a less-than-ideal solution when emergency staffing is needed.
Facilities need to gain more control when looking for nursing staff so they can be ready for any surge in demand, call outs, or maternity leaves without affecting their budget with premium overtime rates.
In this article, facilities will explore the staffing challenges in Greenwood, but—more importantly—will also find the solution a click away.
Greenwood's specific staffing hurdles
The most immediate problem for facilities in Greenwood is the unpredictable nature of daily healthcare staffing. A single last-minute call out or a sudden change in a fluctuating patient census can disrupt an entire unit. This forces nurse managers to scramble and often to rely on overtime.
This not only increases staffing costs but also places an enormous burden on the facility's permanent team, leading to burnout and damaging morale. The impact of these chronic shortages is severe. It directly correlates with higher nurse turnover and compromises the quality of care, leading to negative patient outcomes.
Staffing forecast for South Carolina, including Greenwood
The staffing challenge in Greenwood is not just a temporary issue; it is a long-term trend predicted by state and federal data. The regional competition for skilled clinicians, particularly within the Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson corridor, is high.
Data for South Carolina highlights a significant gap between the future supply of nurses and the projected demand for their services.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), here are the key projections for the state:
- By 2030, the supply of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in South Carolina will only meet 65% of the demand.
- By 2030, the supply of registered nurses (RNs) in South Carolina will cover only 76% of the demand.
These figures indicate a substantial structural deficit. Facilities cannot rely on traditional hiring pipelines to fill the gap. The competition for this limited pool of nurses will be intense.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the following annual mean wages for the Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson, SC, statistical area:
- RNs: The annual mean wage ranges from $81,380 to $83,100.
- LPNs: The annual mean wage is between $58,370 and $60,270.
While competitive, these wages exist in a market where qualified nurses have numerous options. They are increasingly seeking opportunities that offer not just good pay but also flexibility and work-life balance—something traditional, rigid schedules fail to provide.
Key factors for your staffing plan
Given these challenges, facility administrators in Greenwood must critically evaluate their current staffing methods. Choosing the right solution requires looking beyond the hourly rate and considering the total impact on operations, finances, and staff.
Calculating the total cost of vacancy
What is the true cost of an open shift?
It is far more than the wage of the missing nurse. The total cost includes:
- Premium pay for overtime or higher rates for last-minute agency calls
- Downstream costs of nurse burnout, including higher turnover and the expense of recruiting and onboarding a replacement
- Potential impacts on patient care, which can affect HCAHPS scores and, consequently, reimbursement levels
- The "hidden cost" of administrative time spent by managers trying to fill the shift
A viable staffing solution should reduce this total cost, not just offer a seemingly low hourly rate that comes with other, hidden expenses.
Administrative handoff vs. administrative burden
An ideal staffing solution acts as a single point of contact. It should handle the credentialing, billing, and communication, allowing the nurse manager to simply post a need and approve a qualified clinician.
The goal is an administrative handoff, not a new administrative burden.
It is also critical to understand the "hire-away" fees. Many traditional agencies charge a substantial penalty if a facility wants to hire a temporary nurse they like as a permanent employee.
This practice is counterproductive to solving the long-term nurse staffing shortage.
A modern, facility-friendly solution should encourage, or at least not penalize, a "temp-to-perm" transition.
Discover how healthcare executives are thinking about the nursing shortage here.
Comparing Greenwood's staffing models
Healthcare facilities have several methods at their disposal for staffing. Each comes with a distinct set of advantages and disadvantages. Evaluating them in the context of Greenwood's specific challenges is key.
Internal float pools
An internal float pool consists of a facility's own employees who are trained to work on multiple units. These nurses provide coverage for call outs, leaves, and short-term vacancies.
Pros
The staff is already familiar with the facility's policies, procedures, and electronic health record (EHR) system. This promotes continuity of care and cultural consistency.
Cons
Float pools are limited in size. Building and maintaining a robust float pool is a significant nurse recruitment challenge in itself. There is also a high risk of burnout for float pool staff.
Traditional nurse staffing agencies
These are the long-standing "temp agencies" for healthcare. Facilities contract with one or more nurse staffing agencies in Greenwood, SC, or other staffing companies, which then find and place nurses to fill open shifts or short-term contracts.
Pros
An agency can, in theory, handle the sourcing and initial vetting of a nurse, saving the facility some administrative work. They can be a source for staff when the internal pool is exhausted.
Cons
This model is notoriously slow and inefficient. It relies on phone calls, faxes, and emails. Rates are often high and opaque, with significant agency overhead built in.
Per diem staffing
A newer, technology-driven model is PRN staffing through platforms. This model, exemplified by Nursa, offers flexible scheduling and operates as an open marketplace for finding per diem nurses. It is not an agency but a technology that directly connects healthcare facilities with credentialed, local healthcare professionals seeking per diem shifts.
Pros
- Speed: Facilities can post open shifts in real time. Qualified, local nurses are notified instantly via a mobile app and can request to fill them.
- Flexibility: There are no minimum-use requirements or long-term contracts.
- Transparency: Pricing is transparent. Facilities set the rate to find the clinicians they need.
- Quality: For every clinician that requests a shift, the platform conducts credential verification, ensuring every nurse is licensed, background-checked, and ready to work.
- Local: It taps into the existing community of PRN nurses in Greenwood, SC, reducing reliance on expensive, out-of-state travelers.
Cons
This model requires a shift in thinking, moving away from endless agency calls to a more dynamic, technology-enabled workflow.
For facilities in Greenwood facing the projected supply gaps, the platform model offers the scalability and flexibility needed to meet fluctuating demand.
How Nursa connects you to local nurses
From hospital to long-term care nurse staffing, Nursa is a PRN healthcare platform designed to solve the challenges Greenwood facilities face.
What is Nursa?
It is important to understand that Nursa is not a staffing agency.
Nursa does not employ nurses.
Instead, it provides a marketplace—a PRN healthcare staffing app—that empowers both facilities and clinicians.
The benefits of on-demand staffing
When a shift opens unexpectedly, a nurse manager can post it on the platform in seconds. That shift is then broadcast to all qualified and available clinicians in the Greenwood area.
Cost-effectiveness and transparency
Nursa helps control costs by removing the expensive intermediaries. Facilities post shifts at a rate they determine, and they only pay for completed shifts.
How facilities can use Nursa
The process is straightforward and designed for busy healthcare administrators:
- Create your profile: Answer some questions and wait for facility verification.
- Post shifts: You detail the shift time, unit, and any specific skills required.
- Clinicians apply: Local, verified nurses and CNAs see your open shifts on the app and apply to fill them.
- Fill your shift: You review the profiles of the clinicians who have applied and select the best fit. The shift is confirmed, and the clinician is booked.
Within the staffing crisis, an opportunity emerges. That opportunity is Nursa.
The solution to address your staffing challenges
Facilities in Greenwood can rely on Nursa, knowing that its services comply with regulations, are efficient, and provide a real solution for their staffing challenges.
The current staffing situation demands solutions that help medical centers adapt to the fluctuating needs to provide quality care. Managers shouldn't carry the burden of difficulties in finding reliable nurses alone.
Nursa not only provides a platform to fill open shifts but also fosters a better relationship between facilities and clinicians, as it meets the needs of both parties.
Why continue using bureaucratic staffing methods when managers can gain more control over their contracting process, reduce costs, and be more efficient with their time?
Download Nursa and start posting PRN jobs today.
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