The Impact of Health Care Workforce Shortages in 2023
Health care facilities have been struggling with staffing issues for a while now. It’s time for leaders to take a different approach.
A growing workforce crisis is affecting the medical profession and threatening patient outcomes, staff retention, and operational efficiency at hospitals and healthcare systems. Learn what it means for 2023 and how to address your staffing challenges.
The COVID-19 pandemic
The US healthcare workforce faced a shortage before COVID-19, but the pandemic put additional stress on hospitals and medical providers. As a result, burnt-out nurses and doctors leave the profession in droves.
The reasons for the health care staffing crisis are complex and varied. They include changing demographics, a lack of talent pipeline, and the rigors of medical work.
Fortunately, there are several steps that employers can take to alleviate the workforce crisis. These can include new healthcare provider operating models, education reforms, and technology-driven human resources best practices.
Burnout
Burnout is an increasingly common problem in healthcare, especially among frontline workers. It’s caused by a combination of factors, including excessive workloads, administrative burdens, and limited say in scheduling.
While it’s not always possible to fix these issues, there are things that health systems can do to counter the effects of burnout. One of these is to have employees participate in professional development opportunities.
Another is to encourage employees to take time off when feeling burnt out. This can help them recharge their batteries and refocus on the job.
Burnout is a major contributor to turnover in the healthcare industry. It’s a growing issue that has resulted in more nurses leaving the workforce than ever before. This trend is expected to continue in 2023.
Family-to-Family Care
Healthcare staffing shortages have been a major concern for years. The shortage is not limited to nurses; it has also affected doctors, X-Ray and lab technicians, respiratory therapists, and many other allied health professionals.
As a result, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers feel burnout’s effects. They are also being forced to spend an increasing amount of time on administrative tasks that are not their core duties — tasks that can take away from patient care and lead to burnout and turnover.
As a solution, the AHA encourages Congress to prioritize funding and policies that support and expand America’s healthcare workforce. These can include reinvesting in workforce development, providing incentives for staff members who hit performance or quality targets, and creating a diverse workplace with various people.
The Baby Boomer generation
The Baby Boomer generation is the largest in history. It was born in the years following World War II, and it helped shape American culture.
They were the first generation to witness many advances in technology and health care that have shaped today’s society. However, they also experienced the Great Depression and the labor movement’s rise.
This generation is retiring and will have an impact on the healthcare industry. Specifically, according to Becker’s Hospital Review, 21% of physicians are over 65, and 1 million nurses are retiring.
Technology
Technology is helping to bolster the efficiency and impact of healthcare professionals. For example, tele-ICUs enable intensivists to monitor patients from multiple hospital locations and provide critical care resources to those who need them most.
This helps to reduce patient wait times while improving the quality of care. In addition, it improves clinical productivity by completing paperwork for clinicians.
In a time of staffing shortages, these technologies also help retain talent and ensure patients receive the best possible care. They also address burnout by reducing the risk of depression and other stressors that cause clinicians to leave their jobs.