As hospital leaders hold on to hope that nurse shortages will wane with the pandemic, research continues to show the opposite. The American Nurses Foundation (ANF) recently reported an astounding 30% increase in the number of nurses thinking about leaving their positions, from 40% one year ago to 52% today.
In many hospitals, external agencies have been utilized as the solution for staffing challenges, fueling a 126% increase in high-cost contingent labor over the last few years. Using contract labor is nothing new, but the escalating demands of the workforce and volume of vacancies have made it increasingly inviable as a primary go-to option. It is time to take a new approach – one that is more diversified, holistic, and synergistic.
As with any ecosystem, it takes balance to thrive.
For example, even during the pandemic, this 22-state health system achieved a 97% fill rate and 20 days to fill. Did they do it by increasing reliance on contract labor? No – they reduced agency spend by half at the same time. Instead, they adopted a more comprehensive, end-to-end approach, made possible by purpose-built technology that equipped them to:
When these technologies combine and are supplemented by strategic domain expertise and support services, the result for hospitals and health systems is greater control over labor options, spending, workflow, and decision-making. This combination also supports the design and implementation of flexible employment models that will stop and reverse the loss of nurses to “gig-style” agency staffing.
Intelligent automation that connects all relevant people, processes, and technologies is the way forward. Hallmark Contingent Labor Platform integrates, automates, and supports workforce management to lift administrative burdens and break down silos:
By delivering all the above from a single source, Hallmark's Contingent Labor platform enables administrators to reallocate time to more value-added, strategic activities that support enterprise goals. It also drives better processes, mitigates compliance risks, and delivers much-needed standardization in contracts and bill rates, timekeeping, and invoicing.
In the ANF survey mentioned at the top of this article, nurses said their top reasons for leaving are “insufficient staffing” and “work negatively affecting health and well-being.” Asked what their employers could do to improve work satisfaction, most said increase staff, support work-life balance, and offer more flexibility in scheduling.
Can you answer that call with your current processes and technology?
If not, it’s time to adopt integrated, fit-for-purpose solutions like Einstein II so you can compete with staffing agencies again – and win.
For more real-world examples of the difference the Hallmark Contingent Labor Platform makes, visit our case studies page.