EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staffing shortages continue to threaten patient safety. Improved recruiting can help ensure proper staffing for patient care.
- CMS updated staffing requirements for skilled nursing facilities.
- The application process can be too long and tedious.
- Prompt response to candidates can improve hiring.
As staff shortages threaten patient safety, hospitals and health systems are eager to bring more clinicians on board. But this is becoming harder, especially for the most desired candidates. Improving the application and hiring process can improve patient safety.
The staffing challenge has plagued healthcare employers for years, and the demands are increasing. CMS recently updated its guidance for skilled nursing facilities to obtain five-star ratings, requiring a five-star staffing metric to receive this rating.
A big driver for staffing shortages is the difficulty in recruiting effectively, says Rishabh Parmar, head of strategy and operations for clinician jobs marketplace Vivian Health in Dallas.
Once qualified staff are hired, the next problem is retention.
When recruiting, healthcare facilities should pay attention to the application process, Parmar says. Nurses who are interested in an employer can be deterred when the application process is too cumbersome, and a large proportion may stop before completing it.
Pay transparency is another significant issue for applicants, Parmar notes. If applicants cannot assess the pay level quickly and easily, they are unlikely to proceed. The pay level does not have to be exact; a range showing the minimum and maximum can be effective. Applications from clinicians can increase 10% to 35% when pay levels are added to a job posting. That improvement is seen across all pay levels, not just for the healthcare employers offering the highest pay.
“Another issue is the lack of engagement. A lot of times, nurses will go through this cumbersome application process, and then it takes 20 to 40 days to hear back and connect with the hiring managers,” Parmar says. “That lack of engagement can have a big impact when we have a staff shortage and there are other employers competing for these applicants.” Reducing the time from application submission to interview to an average of five days can improve hiring by 35%, he adds.
Insufficient or outdated technology also can be a deterrent. With so many employment opportunities available, those seeking a job will gravitate toward employers with the most up-to-date technology that makes their jobs easier and more productive, Parmar says.
REFERENCE
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Design for Care Compare Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System: Technical Users’ Guide. July 2022.
As staff shortages threaten patient safety, hospitals and health systems are eager to bring more clinicians on board. But this is becoming harder, especially for the most desired candidates. Improving the application and hiring process can improve patient safety.
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