Staffing delays can be costly to your healthcare facility in many ways. Delaying staffing decisions can put patients at risk, increase overtime costs, and take a physical and mental toll on your staff. The ultimate result might be poor patient outcomes and a negative mark on your healthcare facility’s reputation. However, by taking a proactive approach to staffing, you can avoid burdening your current staff, keep your patients safe, and minimize your overtime costs.

Patient Care Risks

Perhaps the most detrimental cost of last-minute staffing is the impact it has on patient care. If you wait too long to fill positions, it becomes challenging to maintain quality and safety. The risk of errors increases when you rush staff into a facility without proper orientation and training. Medication errors, miscommunication, and procedural mistakes can easily happen. For the patient, there is a delay in their care and longer wait times. These delays can lead to worsening health conditions.

Increased Overtime Costs

Delayed staffing directly impacts overtime and increases costs. For starters, you must cover the responsibilities of the vacant positions, which means extended shifts and overtime pay for current employees. Overworking employees often leads to burnout, which further increases the reliance on overtime as these exhausted employees leave the organization.

Delays in hiring disrupt the entire facility, slowing workflows and forcing extra hours, with additional pay, to maintain productivity and quality care. The longer you wait to hire, the more money you will spend on job postings and staffing solutions. Streamline your hiring process to reduce unnecessary overtime expenses.

Staff Burnout

Unfilled positions mean extra work for your team. These additional responsibilities, and often additional hours, are frequently stressful for staff. Employees become less efficient, which compromises care and may even lead to an increase in liability costs. Employees will ultimately resign, causing your organization to spend more money on recruitment, training, and temporary staffing. Overreliance on temporary staff can be costly.

What Your Organization Can Do

Putting staffing needs off can be costly to your healthcare organization. However, with some planning, you can staff your facility more efficiently. Here are tips:

• Use historical data. Looking at patient volume trends can help you plan your staffing requirements and avoid last-minute hiring.
• Reduce recruitment delays. Speed up the process with optimized job postings, interview scheduling, and onboarding.
• Be flexible. Avoid the last-minute hiring by having per diem workers, float pools, and employee cross-training to ensure coverage.
• Invest in retention. Keeping current staff will undoubtedly help your facility save money. Offer competitive pay, career development, a good culture, and work-life balance.

Planning and avoiding last-minute staffing can help you avoid unnecessary expenses. A staffing partner like ADN Healthcare can provide you with a customized staffing solution to help you avoid the costs of last-minute staffing. Let the professional team at ADN Healthcare assist you.