Rome, Georgia, is often called the "Enchanted Seven Hills," where the Etowah and Oostanaula rivers meet to form the Coosa River. It is a city that is defined by its people and deep-rooted traditions.
Here in Rome, healthcare is more than just an industry; it is a neighbor looking after a neighbor.
Administrators in Atrium Health Floyd, AdventHealth Redmond, and other medical settings face a silent, mounting pressure. A tired and stressed workforce, a growing population, and a traditional staffing model that is unable to cope with the additional strain.
Navigating the new healthcare staffing solutions in Rome, GA
Rome, Georgia, is currently undergoing a transformation in its medical industry. As the population continues to age and grow, the pressure on medical facilities is mounting, forcing facilities to search for resources to maintain an adequate nurse-to-patient ratio.
Administrators now face a twofold challenge:
- Ensuring high-quality patient outcomes
- Managing a budget increasingly strained by rising labor costs
The integration of technology-driven healthcare staffing solutions in Rome, GA, has shifted from a convenience to a necessity.
Nationally, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) forecasts a significant nursing deficit. Specifically, for the state of Georgia, forecasts indicate a 21% (22,050) shortage of RNs by 2035, leaving many vacancies across the state.
The nurse staffing shortage is significantly higher than the average in regional metropolitan areas, such as Rome. To bridge the staffing gap, facilities are now looking beyond the traditional hiring methods to a more tech-driven, agile, and flexible model of healthcare staffing.
Localized staffing hurdles in the Rome metro area
Healthcare facilities in Rome, from major regional hospitals to local specialized post-acute care centers, are facing unique geographic and demographic challenges, with approximately 50% of the population from diverse backgrounds. The social aspect presents a challenge to all medical facilities.
The need for emergency staffing in this region often stems from seasonal flu surges or sudden increases in patient census. The Georgia Board of Nursing has rigorous standards for licensure and continuing education, placing a heavy regulatory compliance burden on HR departments.
When last-minute call outs occur, the ripple effect impacts staff-to-patient ratios, patient safety, and increases the stress on your remaining hospital nursing staff.
Without a flexible option, facilities often resort to expensive overtime, which only exacerbates clinician fatigue and compromises the quality of care. It also increases the risk of burnout and nurse turnover.
The high cost of traditional nurse staffing companies
A long-term staffing strategy requires facility leaders to weigh variables beyond the hourly rate. Traditional hiring methods usually come with "hidden" fees that cripple a department's budget.
Nurse staffing companies frequently charge a hefty "buyout" or "hire-away" fee when a facility wishes to hire a PRN to a permanent role, effectively penalizing facilities for finding a good fit.
Furthermore, many nurse staffing agencies in Rome, GA, use outdated manual processes and unnecessary administrative paperwork. The time spent on credential verification—manually checking degrees, licenses, and background registries—can delay a start date.
Facilities should prioritize staffing solutions that automate this process to ensure every clinician walking through the door is in regulatory compliance with state and federal regulations, without adding unnecessary paperwork to your HR department.
Analyzing staffing alternatives for Georgia facilities
Today’s modern healthcare administrators have four primary sources for filling staffing gaps:
- Traditional agency staffing: Offers full-service staffing, with high markups and hidden fees that affect a facility's budget.
- Internal float pools: While offering known commodities, they may be insufficient to handle large, unexpected patient surges.
- Travel nurses: While providing long-term stability, this can be the most expensive option and may involve long 13-week contracts.
- Digital marketplaces: Platforms such as Nursa offer on-demand staffing by connecting facilities directly with per diem staff, eliminating the “middleman.”
Compare all your staffing options
Which staffing method is most beneficial for your facility?
While traditional agencies have served the medical industry for decades, they often lack the transparency of a digital platform such as Nursa.
Using a PRN healthcare staffing app allows administrators to evaluate a clinician’s profile, experience, and rating before accepting their services, providing a level of vetting and clarity that traditional "blind" agency placements rarely offer.
Empowering Rome facilities through the Nursa model
Nursa has redefined how administrators in Rome, GA, staff their workforce by providing a streamlined bridge to local healthcare professionals.
With Nursa’s "test-drive" model, staff recruitment and training management can post a shift for a registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), or certified nursing assistant (CNA), and then observe the clinician’s performance in person and in a real-world setting.
Per diem shifts can function as a "working interview" that allows the facility to evaluate clinical skills and cultural fit without any long-term commitment.
The advantages of this model for healthcare staffing in Rome, GA, are as follows:
- No buyout fees: Try-before-you-hire. Nursa allows facilities to hire clinicians who fit the bill with no “hire-away” fee.
- Regulatory compliance: Nursa’s platform-automated credentialing ensures every shift is staffed by a qualified medical professional.
- Operational flexibility: With features such as "Auto-Schedule" and "Favorites," facilities can quickly re-book clinicians who have already proven their value.
With Nursa, PRN nurses in Rome, GA can balance their personal lives with their professional careers. A human-centric approach will lead to a more engaged and happier clinician, which, in turn, directly translates into better patient care.
As the demand for per diem staffing grows, Rome’s healthcare system must adapt. By leveraging flexible staffing options through a tech-driven, transparent, and cost-effective digital platform, facilities can find PRN staffing that supports healthcare operations management.
Read more about healthcare executives’ views on contract nursing labor.
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