What Does U.S. Health Care Reform Mean for Hospital Nurse Staffing?

Posted by admin on June 22, 2010 - 6:43pm

The buzz around our industry these days is certainly centered on the impacts of U.S. Health Care Reform on nurses and hospitals. As a leading nurse staffing agency, we consider it our duty to understand, anticipate, and serve the needs of hospitals and nurses, alike.

The expected impacts of the newly adopted U.S. Health Care Reform legislation are numerous and diverse. The legislation is intended to offer greater access to healthcare for many Americans, which means higher demand for health care services. And you would think this increased demand would result in a hiring frenzy among hospital staffers for nurses and other professionals. Yet, the story is more complex. Hospitals must weigh the likely increase in healthcare demand with the expected impact of other pieces of the legislation, such as a possible reduction in insurance reimbursements. This potentially significant blow to hospital revenue may actually cause hospitals to think twice about hiring staff nurses.

Agency Nurse Staffing Offers Hospitals the Flexibility They Need

Clearly the U.S. Health Care Reform legislation brings added uncertainty to the financial picture and staffing needs of hospitals, urgent care centers, and others. Thus, it makes sense that many hospitals will turn to agency nurses. With agency nurses, hospitals can adjust their staffing quickly and efficiently to meet demands on a day by day basis – without the commitments and upfront costs of hiring staff members.

We expect an increase in agency nursing demands among hospitals as a direct result of the recent legislation for these reasons:

Agency nurses offer much needed flexibility to hospitals.
Hospitals that rely on agency nurses can avoid the average $40k it takes to hire and train a new staff member.
Hospitals can adjust their staffing up or down on a daily or seasonal basis with agency nurses.

What to Look for in a Hospital Nursing Agency

It’s important that hospitals know what to look for in a quality nursing agency. At FlexRN, we set the bar high by meeting or exceeding all of the following requirements:

Utilizing an agency that is Joint Commission Credentialed and Certified.
A dedicated account manager who understands your needs and requirements.
Familiarity and compliance with your orientation and scheduling policies
A system to ensure timely and accurate booking of shifts.
A quality assurance process to ensure 100% compliance for all critical credentials.
The ability to fill last-minute needs, even after normal business hours.
A compliance process that earns the Joint Commission’s Seal of Approval
Nurses that are tested with accredited, nationally validated exams
Nurses that are frequently evaluated throughout their agency employment.
An agency that is operated by nurses who understand the inner workings of hospital nursing.

As the U.S. Health Care Reform legislation continues to roll out, hospitals and nurses will no doubt feel the effects. At FlexRN we’re here to mitigate the risks and uncertainties by offering a flexible staffing solution for hospitals and nurses alike.

Visit flexrn.com and discover our nurse staffing agency advantages. To become a client, simply request our agency nurses. To become a FlexRN nurse, apply for our nursing agency jobs now.

Comments: