Is the Nursing Shortage Over?

A friend’s daughter who lives in Florida graduated from nursing school last month and is having trouble finding a job. Maybe you’ve heard similar stories from around the country. Maybe your own hospital is enjoying the lowest vacancy rate you’ve seen in years. Don’t let the current economic climate lull you into a false sense of complacency. As soon as the economy gets back on track, and it will, nurses will return to part-time status or decide not to go back to school after all. Elective procedures and volume will pick up again. Don’t find yourself saying, “But I thought the nursing shortage was over!”

Why does it take an economic crisis for families to align spending with income? Apply that same reasoning to how you staff your nursing units and you will demonstrate a consistent methodology for patient care delivery regardless of supply and demand. For example, when was the last time you looked at data to determine if your top admitting diagnoses match your bed complement? Have your top service lines changed yet you still have the same number of “medical” beds? Is your length of stay in Intensive Care out of line because physicians aren’t following established criteria?

Don’t wait until the next nursing crunch to manage this. It’s a little like someone with diabetes using insulin to cover eating whatever he or she wants. You may have to do it sometimes, but it’s much better to establish a practice that balances food intake, exercise and medication. Have a plan and stick to it knowing there are going to be times when you have to flex staff up or down. Dust off your Admission, Discharge and Transfer criteria, review your Hours per Patient Day targets, ensure your position control reflects targets and then hire/staff accordingly. But in the meantime, enjoy those lower than usual vacancy rates!