4 Reasons of Shortages in Healthcare Staff in Hospitals
As the population of a country increases, so does the demand for the number of healthcare staff in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. To provide quality services healthcare organizations need to hire sufficient healthcare professionals and nurses. However in the recent years, there has been a significant shortage in healthcare staff which is a growing concern for most economies. Let’s have a look at few reasons why we face shortages of professionals when it comes to the healthcare industry.
Aging Population
The aged population demands more healthcare services. Baby Boomers population is 75million+ which means healthcare organizations have to address the needs of this aged population. But, the number of healthcare professionals hasn’t raised as much as the population continues to grow and age. On one hand, the medical sciences have enabled human beings to fight the serve healthcare problems and prolonged their lives. On the other hand, there are not enough resources to make up for the promises that healthcare institutions need to keep.
Staff Retirement
Nurses and healthcare professionals have to retire at a certain age. Experienced professionals are an asset to healthcare organizations due to their experience and knowledge working in the field for so many years. They are great sources of new research and development in the medical sciences. But the time comes when they have to leave their job, which definitely affects the healthcare institution as it loses an experienced member. Of course, it is inevitable, 70,000 nurses retire annually, but there must be alternative solutions to this problem. Such as hiring two fresh and less qualified staffs when one high-valued healthcare professional retires.
Qualified Healthcare Professional
Nursing and other healthcare staff face shortages because there is a limited number of people qualified for the profession each year. Healthcare institution needs to find better solutions to resolve this problem. One of the ways in which this problem can be addressed is by hiring international healthcare professionals. Qualified doctors, nurses, and other professionals can be trained to meet the regulations and standards of your country and institute. It is also good to add diversity to your staff and helps you maintain the quality of care by having enough resources.
Burnout and Change of Profession
Due to unpreceded expectations and responsibilities of the healthcare professionals in the hospitals and healthcare institutions, they have to stay updated, educated, and trained. Besides, the constant need to address the professional demands and make up for their reputation as a healthcare workers, these professionals face challenges in managing their personal lives. Due to nursing shortages, there have to frequently work on odd shifts, many times overwork, and this cycle never ends anyway. With no work-life balance, many nursing and healthcare professionals switch to other professions to make their living.
Healthcare organizations need to work hard on finding effective solutions to the above problems and eradicate the shortage of healthcare staff in the country. These problems need to be solved with the collaboration of different medical institutes and healthcare organizations working together to achieve mutual objectives.
