Category: Facilities

From 2020 to 2021, the Total Number of Registered Nurses Decreased by 100,000. This Is the Greatest Turnover in the Last Four Decades of Healthcare History. In the midst of an Unprecedented Healthcare Professional Shortage, Facilities Are Scrambling for Staffing Solutions. Two Main Options Are Available to Them: Direct Hires and Temporary Nurses from Staffing Agencies or Booking Platforms Such as Vitawerks. This Begs the Question: What Is the Best Possible Solution for Facilities, During This Ongoing HCP crisis? Do They Really Have to Pick Between the Two?

What Differentiates Direct Hires from Temporary Staffing?

Before Moving Forward, It Is Important to Establish the Distinction Between the Two Methods of Staffing. Direct Hires Refer to Hcps Who Work Full-Time at a Hospital, Long-Term Care Center or Any Other Healthcare Facility. They Work at Designated Shifts, Are Under a Long-Term Contract with Their Employer and Earn a Fixed Compensation Rate Over a Period of Time (Typically on a Monthly Basis.) Put simply, These Are the Traditional HCP hires That Everyone Has Grown Accustomed To.

Meanwhile, Temporary HCps are Brought in Through Staffing Agencies or Applications Like Vitawerks. They Sign Temporary Contracts That Expire After Weeks, Months, or Even After a Single Shift. Temporary HCps are Brought in to Fill in Short-Term Vacancies or Lack of Manpower. Instead of a Fixed Rate, Their Compensation Depends on Where They Sign With. They Can Sign as Many Contracts with Different Facilities as They Wish, Provided That They Are Capable of Finishing All the Jobs That They Take On.

What Works Best for Our Facility?

All Facilities Have to Operate with a Strong Base of High-Quality Full-Time Hcps. When Faced with a Workforce Shortage or Inadequate Staffing Ratios, However, They Need to Determine How to Make Up That Deficit. When You Choose Between Full-Time Staffing and Temporary HCPS, You Need to Weigh the Unique Advantages and Disadvantages of Each Approach:

Advantages of Direct Hires:

Better Continuity

When You Take on Direct Hires, You Are Bringing Them in Long Term. By Default, They Will Have More Time to Build Continuity with Your Facility. Over the Course of Their Careers, They Will Gain an Intimate Understanding of the Institution’s Systems, Mission, and Vision. They Will Also Build Greater Chemistry with Their Fellow Nurses, Nurse Aides, Doctors, Physicians, and Staff. This May Not Seem Like Much, but Teamwork Is the Key to Success in Healthcare. You Will Not Find This Kind of Community with Temporary Staffing.

Fewer Issues with Chemistry

In many instances, a “Rift” Can Form Between the Temporary HCPS and the Direct Hires. Naturally, the Full Time Staff Will Not Perceive Temporarily Staffed Hcps as “Part of Their Organization.” This Can Cause a Sense of Isolation Among the Per Diem Staff. In the Worst Case Scenario, Flares or Confrontations May Occur. Preventing This Instance Requires Proper Communication Between Staff, and Good Management on the Part of Your Facility’s Nurse Leaders. It Is a Challenge That Can Be Overcome, but It Is Not One That Is Faced by Most Direct Hires.

More Stability

For both Facilities and HCPS, the Fixed Compensation Makes Everything Easier on a Logistical Level. Facilities Have a General Idea of What Manpower Will Cost Each Month, with Fixed Monthly Compensation. HCps also Have an Easier Time Planning Their Finances with a Steady, Consistent Rate. Taxation Is Also Significantly Easier, on the Healthcare Professional’s Part, Since It Is Automatically Deducted from Your Compensation. Finally, Health Coverage and Sick Leave Make It Viable for HCPS to Take Days Off Due to Illness. For many, This Kind of Stability in Such a Chaotic Industry Is Appealing.

Advantages of Temporary Staffing

Less Investment

Hiring and Developing New HCPS is Incredibly Costly. Resources Need to Be Placed into Scouting New Hcps, and Onboarding Them. Training Them and Orienting Them on How a Facility Works Will Also Incur Heavy Expenditure. After All, You Need to Pay Nurse Educators to Develop Training Programs and Instruct New Hires. When You Need to Fill a Vacancy Immediately, a Full-Time Hire Might Not Be the Most Efficient. Temporary Staffing Gives You Access to Professional, and Readily Available Hcps Who Are Already Trained and Experienced. After a Brief Orientation, They Should Be Ready to Contribute Immediately.

Supports the Full Time Staff

Bringing in Temporary Staff Should Not Make Your Full-Time Staff Feel Alarmed. They Are There to Help and Supplement Full-Time Nurses, Nurse Aides, Doctors, and More. When Temporary Hcps Are Brought In, the Hcp to Patient Ratios Become More Balanced as a Result. As a result, They Ease the Burden on Direct Hires Who May Have Been Overstretched Beforehand. This Is Why Staffing Agencies and Booking Apps Like Vitawerks Gained Such Prominence, Following the Pandemic. One Assists and Supplements the Other, Instead of Replacing Them Outright.

More Flexibility

During the Pandemic, Facilities Were Caught Off Guard by Short Term Spikes in Case Loads and Patients. the Hcp to Patient Ratios Were Inadequate, and Facilities Across the Country Were Not Prepared to Handle Them. Bringing in More Full-Time HCps was Not Always the Answer, However. Once Case Counts Returned to Normal, Facilities Could Find Themselves Overstaffed. This results in Paying Too Much on Compensation and Training for Minimum Gain. Temporary Staffing Provides Flexibility to a Facility’s Workforce. If a Short-Term, Dramatic Increase in Patients Happens (In Another Pandemic, a Natural Disaster That Causes Mass Injury, etc.), They Can Bring in More HCps on a Temporary Basis. This Lets Them Maintain Good Hcp to HCP-to-patient ratios Without Overstaffing.

Do You Have to Choose?

Contrary to Popular Belief, Direct Hires and Temporary Workers Do Not Have to Be in Conflict. As was Mentioned Earlier, Temporary Staff Are Brought in to Support the Full-Time Workers Who Form the Heart of a Facility. In truth, What Works Best for a Facility Will Ultimately Depend on the Context of Your Situation, and Your Needs at That Point in Time. Is There a Long-Term Vacancy That You Want to Fill? Are You Prepared for the Financial Investment That Bringing in a Full-Time HCP Will Entail? If That Is the Case, You Want to Look for a Direct Hire.

on the Other Hand, Perhaps Your Needs Are More Short-term. It Could Be One of Your Staff Members Has Suddenly Called in Sick, or is on Vacation Leave. Perhaps Your Area Is Experiencing a Resurgence of COVID-19 in Certain Areas, and Facilities Are Suddenly Bringing in More Patients Than Expected. When You Need Immediate, Short-Term Solutions, Then Temporary Staffing Is the Best Possible Solution for Your Facility.

Go Out There!

A number of Factors Will Determine Your Final Decision. Your Facility’s Current State and Financial Health, Market Trends, and More Will All Play Their Part. Ultimately, Direct Hiring and Temporary Staffing Are Both Useful Strategies for a Facility’s Disposal. They Inform and Supplement Each Other, as They Are Used in Tandem. with the Right Resource Management and Judgment, You Really Cannot Go Wrong with Either Choice. Just Assess the Situation, Look at What Your Facility Has at Your Disposal, and the Correct Choice Will Ultimately Come to You.

Without a doubt, healthcare is one of the most demanding industries in the entire world. Whether you are a nurse aide or a doctor, you will be entrusted with providing lifesaving emotional and physical care to patients in need. The work is already challenging on its own, yet the ongoing HCP shortages have made things even tougher for the remaining staff. Much is asked from our healthcare heroes, on every level.

Despite all this, healthcare work is still well worth considering. People who are willing to make the leap will find a uniquely rewarding line of work, on every level. It may be difficult, but HCP professions are fulfilling in ways that most industries simply cannot compare to. If you remain unconvinced, we have laid out a couple of reasons why you should consider entering the field of healthcare.

Healthcare Workers Get to Travel

Wherever you go, HCP work is in extremely high demand. This is the case in Colorado as much as it is in Georgia, Tennessee, Arizona, and more. Thanks to this fact, HCPs have the unique opportunity to travel across the country to pick up work wherever. Not only can they take in all kinds of sights and experiences, but they can also gain valuable work experience in a variety of different settings and contexts. If you book a job with a travel nurse agency, you get to do this while your agency covers your travel costs and expenditures, along with a number of other benefits (depending on the agency.) If you practice in one of the 40+ Nursing Licensure Compact states, you effectively possess multistate licensure that lets you practice in any of the NLC states unimpeded.

Hcps Are Well-Compensated

Healthcare is an industry that has only risen in demand over recent years. As you might expect, HCPs up to a certain level are compensated handsomely for their efforts. For context, Registered Nurses make $77,600 on average, each year. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) represent the highest level of nursing and are some of the best-compensated medical professionals in the entire country. Certified nurse anaesthetists can earn an average of $205,770 each year.

It is important to keep in mind that your compensation will vary, depending on a number of factors. While Certified Nursing Assistants are still valued in the workplace, they understandably earn less compared to their RN counterparts. Your compensation will also depend on a number of factors, such as additional certifications, work experience, reputation, your state of operations, and more.

Hcp Work Is Extremely Satisfying

Though HCP work is demanding, it is also satisfying and uniquely rewarding. Though satisfaction levels dipped during the pandemic, they still remain at an impressive 71%. Upon reflection, this makes sense. Nurses, doctors, and physicians are literally in charge of protecting entire communities. With the latest medical advances, quick judgment, and a wealth of medical knowledge, they improve and save the lives of the patients they work with, each and every day.

In addition, they must provide emotional support to said patients, who are going through difficult struggles in their lives. It is true that no facility or HCP is 100 percent successful, each time. However, the feeling of helping people recover or rebound from serious illnesses and conditions is something that has no comparison, in another field.

Healthcare Work Is Extremely Active

If you prefer a passive, low-stress environment, then healthcare may not be the profession for you. For individuals who thrive under pressure and seek a greater challenge, however, there may not be a better route for you than healthcare. Over long shifts, HCPs are expected to stay on their toes at all times. They need to attentively follow the instructions of their supervisors, to the letter. They have to apply vast knowledge with critical thinking, in order to figure out the best possible medical solutions on the fly.

This is true of every healthcare profession, but it is especially the case if you work in the emergency department or intensive care unit (ICU.) On a nearly daily basis, you will be asked to think on your feet and act quickly, while you are attempting to save the lives of patients who are in critical condition. It takes a special kind of constitution to thrive in such an environment, but certain people thrive in these conditions if not actively seeking them. If you fit this description, then healthcare is certainly the perfect line of work for you.

There Are a Multitude of Career Options Available to You

Healthcare professionals can specialize in a number of different fields and can advance their careers through several paths. As a nurse, you can work in the medical/surgical department, paediatrics, the ICU, cardiology, and more. In the future, you can take on additional certifications and higher education to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), which encompasses roles such as Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthetist, and more

These professionals provide highly specialized and in-demand services. Anesthesia in particular is a critical component for several key procedures. As a result, they are among the best-compensated HCPs in the industry. Alternatively, you can find non-clinical roles within the hospital in leadership, administration and education. With regard to career advancement, HCPs have a wealth of viable options to choose from.

Healthcare Professionals Are Highly Regarded

HCPs are among the most respected and admired professionals in the entire workforce. According to a national survey, 79% of American adults believe that nurses hold high “or very high” ethical and honesty standards. Though HCPs have always maintained a high approval rating, the pandemic made clear just how much they sacrifice. Through long shifts, exposure to dangerous diseases, and critical supply shortages, HCPs still continued to provide much-needed healthcare services. Even outside that context, there has long been an understanding of the physical, mental, and moral demands of the healthcare profession. Though not quite as high as nurses, other HCPs graded favorably in this survey as well.

Go Out There!

Pursuing healthcare is no easy feat. It takes a lot of monetary investment and time commitment before you can start practising at all. When you do find a role, HCP work is undoubtedly demanding. You can expect many long shifts, difficult patients, and physically draining work weeks. It takes a special kind of person to thrive in the world of healthcare. If you do fit that mold, however, few jobs in the world can compare. Healthcare professionals have a unique opportunity to leave a mark on the lives of others.

They are highly regarded by their peers, compensated well at a certain level and they improve the lives of the patients they work with. You will find professional opportunities in different departments, specializations, and locations, depending on where your career takes you. Healthcare is the perfect profession for people who want to make a difference and challenge themselves. With a looming healthcare shortage, the demand for talent is greater now than ever before. Though the workforce shortage brings its own challenges, this means that HCPs on all levels have never been more highly sought after. In some ways, there has never been a better time to enter the healthcare industry.

America only grows more multicultural by the day. The country is now a melting pot of various races, beliefs, and sexual orientations. Within a single work shift, a healthcare professional can end up working with a diverse group of patients and co-workers, from different parts of society or corners of the globe. Though healthcare has grown more diverse, discrimination continues to be a plague that has beset the industry. Without proper acknowledgement and direct action, countless patients will continue to suffer its consequences.

What Is Discrimination?

The American Psychological Association refers to discrimination as “unfair or preferential treatment of people or groups based on characteristics such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, sex, or orientation.” Within the realm of healthcare, it takes different shapes and manifests in different forms. Discrimination mainly takes on two forms: macroaggressions that are obvious and blatant. This includes insults directed at a patient or co-worker characteristics, outright physical abuse, and other problems within these lines. In more recent years, these forms of discrimination have toned down over time, but they still occur from time to time.

Microaggressions are less obvious but more insidious. This refers to subtle insults or snubs that are not immediately perceptible but are discriminatory in nature. They can be verbal or non-verbal and are hard to spot at first glance. An example of this would be addressing a gay co-worker as “one of the good ones.” It is not immediately apparent, but there is an undercurrent of hostility and resentment towards the LGBT+ community. “Complimenting” a foreign co-worker for their “surprisingly good English” is another good example. Though not as blatant as macroaggressions, their effects still add up. Research has found that microaggressions can lead to an increased risk of stress, hypertension and diabetes among victims.

How Does Discrimination in Healthcare Manifest?

Discrimination in healthcare does not just take place in one-on-one interactions. It has tangible effects on minorities’ access to healthcare and can cause widespread damage to entire communities. The University Of Michigan once found that 1 in 5 patients has experienced some form of discrimination, in the healthcare industry. Race was the most common underlying motivator, along with sex, gender, age, and education. Some LGBT+ people are completely withheld from access to healthcare, primarily because of their orientation. For example: one HIV patient mentioned that they had sex with men. As a result, they were completely denied access to HIV medications.

Even when they manage to gain access to healthcare, discriminatory mindsets can lead to disastrous consequences. A study found that a number of misguided beliefs regarding the physical differences between black people and white people lead to more inaccurate diagnoses and costly mistreatments. In particular, the unfounded belief that black people “have more pain tolerance than white people” has led to countless improper medical recommendations. With this in mind, it is no wonder that African Americans have less trust in the healthcare system, on the whole.

These are just a couple of examples of discrimination affecting the quality of healthcare. People of certain ages, genders, races, and orientations have plenty of discriminatory experiences in healthcare facilities.

How Can This Be Addressed?

Discrimination in healthcare is a multifaceted issue. It affects a diverse list of people and groups and cannot be eradicated overnight. Effectively tackling this issue requires a huge amount of investment and attention from facilities, in order to effectively address the issue. Proper diversity education and training programs are one way to promote values of tolerance and acceptance. These programs should educate HCPs on the existence of discrimination, how to recognize it, and how they should react to microaggressions and macroaggressions when confronted with them.

A well-developed reporting system that allows patients and HCPs to bring attention to discriminatory experiences can also empower minorities while dissuading people from bigoted behavior. This should also be complimented with a strict, no-tolerance policy towards various forms of discrimination. Finally, facilities should assist efforts to research discrimination in healthcare. This primarily comes in the form of additional funding and support.

The most effective way to combat discrimination is sweeping reform, on the part of government bodies. Equitable access to healthcare and legal checks and balances will be the most effective deterrents to racism, sexism, ageism and more. Until then, however, facilities must do everything in their power to help however they can.

Digital marketing has burst into the scene in recent years. The internet allows people to spread information at rates unprecedented in all of history. Various industries have recognized this, and capitalized with smart and forward thinking online marketing practices. Healthcare is no exception, and the most successful facilities invest heavily in their digital promotion teams and tactics. Successful online marketing campaigns build leads, and increase interest in your facility with unmatched speed and efficiency.

For facilities looking to get started or are in dire need of a change of plans, VitaWerks has listed out several popular online marketing strategies in recent years. 

Figure out your vision and identity 

Before you come up with a digital marketing plan, you want to know the message you intend to send across. Your promotional content should highlight the strengths, values, and distinguishing features of your facility, over your market contemporaries. This should reflect on the visuals of your marketing material, which should be clear, easily graspable yet distinct. You need to convey a message that falls in line with your Mission, Vision and Core Values. Finally, that message has to be conveyed in a tone that resonates with your core audience. Hiring the right marketing team can go a long way, when it comes to figuring your vision and identity out. Ultimately, looking inwards is the best way to accomplish this. 

Create a newsletter

Newsletters are the perfect way to provide regular updates and content to your customer base, while keeping your facility fresh in their minds. Since you curate your own newsletter, you can highlight new services offered, outstanding employee contributions, all the accolades your facilities have received over time and more. You cannot just spam newsletter updates to unwilling patients, however. Gather a list of email addresses from satisfied patients or potential customers that could be interested. Figure out the content you will share, the format of your newsletter, and how frequently it updates, before pushing through with it. You can even promote your newsletter on your website or on pamphlets, which allows customers to opt in organically. 

Make a referral program 

Referrals are a powerful way to promote your healthcare facility. Customers are more likely to spread awareness about your brand, if they have something to tangibly gain from it. For referring new patients, they can be offered discounts, perks, prizes and more. Be sure that your referral rewards are both tantalizing and within reason, given the resources available to you. For example: VitaWerks provides VCoin prizes for every successful HCP or facility referral. This convinces our excellent HCPs to invite their friends and colleagues to pick shifts up with us. We offer 50 VCoins every time 3 shifts are completed by a referred HCP or at a referred facility. 

Promote yourself on social media 

Nowadays, everyone has social media accounts on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and more. Proper social media campaigns are simultaneously effective and cost efficient, since joining most of these sites is a cost-free process. For extra efficiency, identify where your core audience primarily resides, and tailor your strategy accordingly. LinkedIn is the perfect platform if you are promoting yourself within the industry, for example. The proper content strategy can engage your user base, increase brand awareness, and build your reputation amongst your target audience. 

Tweak your website 

Your website is a powerful touchpoint with your customer base. It lets future patients learn about your facility, encourages them to join your services with strategic Calls to Action (CTA), and lets them know about your future activities. A good website is a powerful digital marketing tool, without a doubt. Simply optimizing your pages for SEO will boost their visibility on search engines, which increases your website traffic over time. A sleek but distinct design will convey your brand image at a first glance. Be sure the website also has a practical navigable design that is easy to read, and even easier to use. 

Travel nursing has risen in prominence over the last few years. Per Zippia, over 1.7 million travel nurses work around America alone, as we speak. Certain figures have estimated that the nurse staffing industry, as a whole, brought in $27.6 billion in 2021. More and more Registered Nurses have bought into the industry, both to increase their earning potential and to enjoy more flexible work arrangements and higher salaries. What exactly is travel nursing, however? What makes it different from regular registered nurses and should you consider making the leap?

What is a Travel Nurse?

 Put simply, travel nurses are nurses brought in on a temporary (or per diem) basis. As the name implies, they take gigs at facilities away from their usual home or geographical location. A travel nurse job can last between 13 to 26 months, depending on the contract offered. Instead of associating with a specific hospital, they work under a nurse staffing agency that connects them with various healthcare facilities in need of short-term staffing solutions.

How has Travel Nursing Gained so much Popularity?

 The United States is currently faced with a critical nursing shortage. HCPs across all levels are leaving, whether it is due to age or work-related stress. Though these trends predate COVID-19, the heightened workload and pressure due to the pandemic have accelerated the rate of burnout and turnover experienced by healthcare facilities worldwide. In addition, “hiring more nurses” to compensate for spikes in case counts is not sustainable. If a facility brings in more full-time HCPs to account for a sudden increase in patients (either due to natural disasters or another pandemic), they will end up overstaffed once the situation settles down.

Travel nursing gained popularity as an excellent short-term staffing solution. Now, facilities only need to bring in as many nurses as they need within a given time. Not only that, but they can also attract nurses from across the country instead of being constricted to HCPs within their immediate vicinity. This gives healthcare facilities across the country more flexibility with their workforce while easing the burden of the valuable full-time HCPs that remain on their staff.

How well Compensated are Travel Nurses?

 At the time of writing, ZipRecruiter lists the average Travel Nurse compensation at $105,021 annually. For reference, this equates to $50 an hour. With nursing shortages crippling facilities nationwide, demand for per diem staff is understandably at an all-time high. In these conditions, it is no wonder that the average Travel Nurse is remunerated so well. In fact, rates are extremely competitive with average full-time compensation for RNs.

They can also enjoy other forms of compensation. Travel Nurses are expected to temporarily move away from their home state, in a lot of circumstances. Depending on the agency you work with, they can provide coverage for travel expenses and free housing. Some agencies even provide coverage for dental, vision and medical healthcare. Be sure to read your contract thoroughly, to see if any of the listed benefits are included.

 Where do Travel Nurses Work?

Travel nurses work in a wide variety of settings. They can pick up contracts with any facility currently contending with a nursing shortage. This list includes (but is not limited to) hospitals, community health centres, intensive care units, physician’s offices and more. While your options will depend on an agency’s list of partnered facilities, you can choose what jobs you want to accept and what you want to pass on. Just be sure to partner with an agency that caters to your strengths and specializations.

How do I Become a Travel Nurse?

Before you can even pick up your first Travel Nurse contract, you have to fulfil a number of steps and requirements:

Travel nurses have all graduated from an accredited nursing program. This requires graduating either a 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or a 2-year Associate’s Degree in Nursing. While the latter is quicker and less costly on average, BSN candidates are given priority in most cases.

Following this, you must pass the NCLEX-RN. Before students become full RNs, they have to take and pass this national certification exam. Review well in advance, both with material from your previous classes and with online or physical reviewers that specifically cover the NCLEX-RN. Once you pass the exam and meet your state’s specific requirements, then congratulations! You have finally become a Registered Nurse.

Agencies do not accept rookie nurses in a majority of circumstances. To maximize your opportunities, you want at least one to two years of relevant nursing experience. For example: Intensive Care Units will most likely not accept you without at least two years of practical experience in the field, and this goes for every unit in a healthcare setting.

Gaining additional certifications is sometimes optional, but always highly recommended. Most nursing agencies are looking for at least certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS). If you work in a speciality, then certifications are all but a must. If you want to pick up roles in neonatal care, gaining CCRN (Neonatal) may be a minimum requirement for some facilities. Even if it is not, facilities and agencies will give preference to individuals with these additional qualifications.

Once everything has settled, you can finally join a travel nurse agency. Do your best to research an agency’s reputation and requirements, before you attempt to join one. If you have a specialization, look for nursing agencies that cater to your field in particular. Take a look at the kind of healthcare facilities they partner with, and which geographic locations they primarily operate around. Browse through reviews and feedback from other HCPs, to see if the agency treats their clients correctly.

Does Licensure Carry Over?

Having a license in a state under the Nurse Licensing Compact (NLC) makes travel nursing more appealing. Under this multistate agreement, RNs licensed in that area hold cross-state licenses. If you practice in Colorado, you do not have to apply for reciprocity or new licensure in Utah, Georgia, Wisconsin, or any of the other NLC states. 41 of the 50 US States have joined the NLC, with others reviewing the possibility of joining in the future. If you already have a license in one of these 41 states, then your credentials are already multistate.

If you do not live in these areas, you can apply for licensure at an NLC state to acquire your own multistate license. For HCPs with multi-state licenses who want to work in non-NLC states, you have to either apply for reciprocity or new licensure, from scratch.

What can HCPs gain from Travel Nursing?

 Travel nursing opens countless avenues and professional opportunities for nurses. It gives them the chance to travel the country while working in different healthcare settings. Not only do they enjoy more flexibility than fully-staffed RNs, they receive compensation that is comparable or even higher than their full-time counterparts. For HCPs who are considering a change in healthcare scenery, or young nurses who simply want to fill their resume with a variety of work experiences, travel nursing is an exciting field well worth considering.