MedPro Healthcare Staffing CEO Liz Tonkin on this year’s challenges and developments in healthcare staffing
Once again, staffing shortages will be the greatest challenge facing healthcare providers in 2023. Burnout, an aging workforce, and an expanding patient population all contribute to a growing need for more healthcare professionals, highlighted and exacerbated by the pandemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth in healthcare averaged 49,000 per month in 2022. Nursing and residential care facilities added 9,000 positions in December alone. Still, bedside clinicians are struggling. A recent AAIHR survey revealed a majority of nurses were considering leaving the profession if staffing shortages at their facility were not addressed. The current conditions have a dramatic impact on patient care and business stability.
Foreign-Educated Healthcare Professionals
One piece to solving the staffing shortage puzzle is foreign-educated healthcare professionals. About 10 percent of nurses in the U.S. are foreign-educated, but that number could be increased by taking steps to expedite the immigration process. As the industry leader in the international recruitment, training, and staffing of foreign-educated healthcare professionals, MedPro is uniquely positioned to utilize this asset to alleviate shortages.
Technology
Advancing technologies are mitigating some of the workload intensified by staffing shortages at major metropolitan hospitals as well as rural facilities and health professional shortage areas (HPSA). According to a recent report published by MarketsAndMarkets, Artificial Intelligence in healthcare is expected to grow at a CAGR of 46.2 percent. AI-enabled support tools aid in assessing symptoms, diagnosis, advising recovery, and forecasting risk. AI is also proving to be a valuable tool for recruiting by sorting through resumes and identifying potential candidates, thus speeding up the hiring and placement process.
The upcoming year promises to be challenging for all of us working in healthcare. Still, the commitment, resources, and tools are available to meet our goals and provide quality care to patients across the nation.