The current global health crisis is putting much pressure on medical facilities. Apart from ensuring the timely delivery of their services, they also need to cater to a surge of patients affected by the pandemic. Staff shortage is a common concern for most of these facilities. Unfortunately, filling in the gap isn’t always as simple. There are many considerations, not only relating to safety, but also with regard to regulatory compliance. So, what are the best ways to cope with this issue.

Recruiting extra staff

The most sensible solution to short-staffing is hiring more employees. There are medical facilities with the financial capability to do so, while some can only hire temporary staff. In case of medical professional shortage, such as in the case of physicians, a hospital can enlist the services of a locum tenens provider like https://mascmedical.com. Locum tenens workers are the most suitable for filling in the gap left by permanent employees who may be on leave or sabbatical. If the hospital has a new program where they need staff, hiring locum tenens is often considered the best solution.

Of course, any medical facility can still invest in hiring permanent employees. But, the downside here is that onboarding could take time. Unlike locum tenens where you’re hiring people who are already experienced and screened for the job.

Prioritizing assignments

Every team within the medical facility should reassess their method of assigning tasks. For example, the nursing station for every department should label tasks as either low, medium, or high priority. The same applies to emergency or COVID 19 related cases. All critical and high-priority functions should be assigned to registered medical professionals and nurses. On the other hand, most low-priority activities may be assigned to other assisting personnel or hospital volunteers if there are any.

Every member of staff should be a team player

Now is not the time for hospital staff to make personal interests a priority. Being able to manage time wisely involves team engagement. Every member of a team should pitch in whenever possible and ensure that the tasks are done on time. Where there are emergency situations or a surge in patients, working together as a team with a common goal will make the situation less challenging. Also, when the team is working cohesively, patients also enjoy better care and attention.

Maximize the assistance offered by volunteers and unlicensed personnel

Most hospitals hire unlicensed personnel to perform non-medical tasks. There are also hospital volunteers willing to help relieve hospital staff from performing admin functions. Leveraging these individuals can reduce some of the workload assigned to medical staff. Of course, it’s essential to determine what to assign, so as not to sacrifice patient safety and service quality.

Final thoughts

Staffing shortage is a prevalent concern in the healthcare industry. Indeed, medical facilities are significantly disadvantaged in patient care delivery and fulfillment. Employing the necessary strategies to fill the gap may include, but are not limited to, the suggestions mentioned in this article.