The demand for nursing professionals is growing significantly nationwide. Norman, Oklahoma, also has factors that increase this situation. For example:
- An aging population
- An increase in chronic illnesses
- Expanding healthcare services in the area
PRN Healthcare staffing solutions in Norman, OK
Norman has several growing healthcare facilities. This city will soon have new urgent care clinics, a care center, and behavioral health services. All of these new spaces increase the need for enough clinicians to meet the quality of patient care services.
Consequently, the demand for healthcare staffing solutions in Norman, Oklahoma, is rising.
In this article, we will explore some of the factors that affect Norman, Oklahoma, locally, and some interesting solutions for facilities regarding healthcare staffing in Norman, OK.
What are some of Norman's staffing challenges?
Some specific staffing challenges for Norman illustrate the complex realities of finding sufficient staff:
- Workforce shortages: Facilities periodically face a lack of qualified clinicians, especially nurses. This situation leads to increased reliance on nurse staffing agencies in Norman and an increased risk of burnout in their staff.
- Financial problems: Financial strains include high costs for overtime pay when covering last-minute scheduling gaps..
- Safety issues and concerns: Understaffing can create patient safety concerns and also put the staff at risk.
- Last-minute changes and scheduling: When clinicians have emergencies or are sick, a shift is often left without sufficient coverage, putting the staff under increased stress.
- Local limitations and regulations: Federal mandates require facilities to have sufficient registered nurse coverage, and they need a good nurse-to-patient ratio to do so.
The cost of hiring and retaining employees in the healthcare sector in Norman is very high for clinic and hospital budgets.
A solution to prevent this from becoming an unsustainable economic crisis is to use per diem clinicians for long-term care facilities and acute settings. That way, hospital nursing and emergency staffing can be handled efficiently.
Choosing the right option as a staffing manager
Some factors to consider when looking for staffing options as a healthcare facility include the following:
- Assess upfront and ongoing costs: Evaluate the upfront costs and ongoing costs of the strategy your facility will adopt.
- Evaluate the amount of administrative effort for each option: Any new staffing model must integrate smoothly with the facility’s existing processes. It is also essential to look for solutions that might ease administrative burdens for facilities.
- Factor in effort for adoption: New and flexible staffing models may require extra time and effort. Additionally, staff may need extra training and ongoing education to ease the transition.
- Account for local regulations and compliance: Ensure your chosen option complies with state regulations. Likewise, leverage guidance and resources from local organizations such as the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
- Mitigate hire-away and retention risks: Flexible scheduling can occasionally increase turnover, so facilities need to implement strategies to keep staff engaged and loyal.
Some simple, successful strategies already in place in Norman include career growth opportunities, employment engagement strategies, and sign-on bonus programs.
What are some staffing options in Norman?
Ultimately, many strategies can help a facility, but what options are available in Norman?
Temporary agencies
The approach of a temporary agency staffing or a nurse staffing company is to use external staffing sources to fill vacancies with sufficiently qualified professionals.
Some advantages of using an agency are, for example:
- More flexibility in sourcing professionals.
- Access to professionals who have already had their licenses screened.
Some disadvantages of agencies as long-term solutions include the following:
- Agencies are often expensive and may include hidden costs in billing.
- Agencies often charge expense hire-away fees if a facility wants to offer permanent employment to the temporary clinician they sourced.
Generally, agencies cost facilities more money in the long run, even if they help them out of trouble in the short term.
Permanent placements
Having permanent staff implies a higher investment for the facilities, but it is a wise investment in the long run. Some pros of having permanent placements are, for example:
- Greater stability for patients and the facility.
- Career structure for clinicians.
- Facilities pay no extra fees to agencies.
Some cons of relying solely on permanent employees include the following:
- Less flexibility when there are ups and downs in patient census.
- Start-up costs and time spent on the recruitment and training of new personnel.
- Overtime costs when staff are tasked to cover scheduling gaps.
Hybrid models
A hybrid model combines permanent staff with temporary staff. Some advantages of this model include, for example:
- Improve the overall stability of the facility with its patients, adapting to the census demands.
- Reduce long-term costs by not being overstaffed.
- Ensure the quality of patient care.
In general, the only challenge is that integrating both models requires better communication and coordination.
With a PRN staffing platform, such as Nursa, incorporating a hybrid model is easier for the administration.
Which model is best?
The hybrid model is the best choice for most of Norman's facilities because it allows facilities to adapt and react without overextending or overstaffing.
Nursa allows you to test-drive clinicians at your facility with PRN shifts. If they suit your facility, hire them for permanent employee positions at no extra cost.
This recruitment feature and other flexible options make Nursa an innovative and cost-effective option for clinicians and healthcare facilities.
Nursa is helping Norman, OK, facilities fill scheduling gaps
What is Nursa? How does it work?
Nursa offers a different and innovative model for staffing solutions with its PRN staffing platform. Nursa conducts credential verification and background checks, ensuring PRN clinicians are ready to work when they arrive.
Additional features such as customizable credential screening lists, the Auto-Schedule feature, on-the-ground support, and integration with operations software reduce administrative burden.
With transparent pricing and no hidden fees, Nursa ensures nurses go where they are needed with on-demand staffing.
Start posting shifts easily, and get local healthcare professionals and PRN nurses in Norman, OK, even at the last minute.
Sources:
.webp)
.webp)
.png)
.png)
