The healthcare industry is constantly changing and evolving, even as we speak. From a global pandemic to new technological developments, keeping up with the latest trends and adapting to changes in the business is the only way that healthcare facilities can continue to succeed. While no one can perfectly predict what will happen in 2024, you can project the trends that will define this coming year based on information from the previous year. If you are looking to improve your retention strategies or operation efficiency, these are the nursing trends that you want to keep in mind.
More remote care options
The telehealth industry has only continued to grow in recent years. Patients in remote areas, abroad, or are otherwise encumbered can receive a diagnosis or medical consultation through video chats, messages, or emails. Remote healthcare services provide greater reach and can offer facilities a significant revenue stream, without much investment. In addition, it provides some flexibility and remote working options for HCPs who feel burned out by clinical work. Remote healthcare services offer great potential for both growth and workforce retention.
Facilities need to stand out
It is getting harder to stand out, in an increasingly saturated healthcare market. Simply providing the best possible care is still effective, but healthcare facilities need to supplement this with strong and distinctive branding if they want to bring in a larger number of patients. A strong reputation as a trustworthy facility, high ratings on various professional workplace apps, and a distinct culture that emanates throughout your promotional material and facility itself are just a few of the ways that healthcare facilities can differentiate themselves from the crowd.
Healthcare professionals need support
Though additional compensation matters, providing healthcare workers with additional support is even more important. According to Reuters, around one third of nurses reportedly had intentions to quit the industry altogether, thanks to burnout, exhaustion or (in some cases) advanced age. The healthcare industry is already projecting a drastic workforce shortage, in part because of these premature retirements and resignations. Improving working conditions, offering better compensation packages, and flexible staffing solutions will be key to retaining talent long term.
More facilities are adopting flexible staffing solutions
Demand in healthcare is extremely fluid, as facilities can see a sudden surge in case counts for several different reasons. The world saw this firsthand with the pandemic, which had hospitals operating at or over capacity before the situation was brought under control. In these times, facilities have turned to staffing apps like VitaWerks to adopt their workforce to the current situation in front of them. With the app, hospitals can bring in as many healthcare providers (HCPs) as they need for a temporary amount of time. With healthcare being as dynamic and unpredictable as it is, temporary staffing will continue to be essential for healthcare facilities to operate steadily.
