The impact of healthcare staffing shortages on patient care

As challenges mount, the healthcare industry must find new and innovative ways to overcome healthcare staffing shortages

PATIENT CARE SUFFERS when a medical facility is understaffed. Administrators recognize that staffing is an issue today and work hard to ensure enough professionals are on-site to provide the highest level of care. However, these challenges continue, and steps must be taken to overcome them.

An Ongoing Problem

Staffing shortages are common. Experts have been warning about this problem for several years now. Attrition remains a concern in the industry because many nurses are reaching retirement age just as patient volume increases due to an aging population. An organization may need to hire a provider, but it is more common to see facilities needing multiple individuals to fill open gaps in their staff. Why is it essential to fill these gaps rapidly?

Clinical Outcomes

The nursing shortage is of particular concern because nurses provide much of a patient’s care, particularly in an inpatient setting. These professionals handle many tasks, such as vital sign monitoring and wound care. Nurses are often the first to spot a complication and alert the patient’s doctor to their concerns.

When nurses have a high patient volume, each patient receives less of their time and attention. This can lead to poor clinical outcomes. Medication errors and wound infections become more common in short-staffed facilities. Furthermore, free admission rates typically rise when a facility does not have enough nurses.

Increased Errors

People often assume that errors involve the wrong treatment or something of that nature. Sadly, it is frequently the case where care is missed. Wound care may not be completed promptly, or a patient may miss one or more medication doses. Patient surveillance declines when a facility is short-staffed and communication breakdowns occur.

Medical professionals have admitted to some missed care due to staffing shortages. Patient satisfaction declines when care is missed, even if the patient doesn’t encounter any complications. They feel their medical team is not meeting their needs, and they may not receive critical instructions that allow them to follow their treatment plan or discharge instructions.

Burnout

The medical industry is known for its high-stress environment. Professionals often work long hours with erratic schedules. Paperwork has become a burden for many, and all medical workers may be stressed and fatigued. When there aren’t enough workers, those present must take on additional work. These individuals are at high risk of burnout, which can only exacerbate existing staffing issues. For this reason, many in the industry have left their jobs, and more may soon follow suit.

Denial of Care

Sometimes, a hospital or other medical facility may find that it must deny patient care. The facility must turn people away because they don’t have the staff to provide this care. This is seen at all healthcare levels today, including primary care physician practices and major hospitals.  States may also mandate specific professional-to-patient ratios. If a facility does not meet these ratios, it will face penalties. To avoid these penalties, the facility may turn people away.

The healthcare industry must find innovative ways to overcome these staffing issues. A multi-pronged approach must be used to ensure the solutions are viable and will work over the long term. Many organizations turn to healthcare staffing providers for help finding workers for open positions. With the help of this provider, the healthcare organization can lessen the burden on staff members while improving patient care.