Labor shortages have become a pressing concern across the health care sector, with the nurse staffing crisis looming large over hospitals and health systems nationwide.
A report from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission illuminated the severity of the workforce challenges, revealing a doubling of vacancy rates for registered nurses in the state’s hospitals from 2019 to 2022. Despite concerted efforts, the problem persists, with health systems still resorting to costly pandemic measures to fill staffing gaps, including offering temporary nurses wages nearly 90 percent higher than those of employed nurses.
In the face of these daunting challenges, the imperative for innovative solutions has never been clearer. Addressing the nurse staffing crisis requires fundamentally reevaluating traditional assumptions, particularly regarding how hospitals utilize registered nurses (RNs). At Emerson Hospital, where I work, we undertook just such a transformative approach, demonstrating the power of proactive and creative thinking in ensuring sustainable patient care.
From the start, two things were clear. First, no cadre of registered nurses was waiting to rush to our open positions. We needed to work with what we had. Second, we needed a long-term solution.
We started at the most basic level: looking at the day-to-day work of our nurses and where we could provide opportunities to free up some of their time. We immediately recognized the tremendous volume of daily tasks nurses are charged with, tasks that don’t require an RN. That led us to our next revelation – we could use the traveler nurse market to our advantage. Leveraging the traveler market of acute care LPNs (versus higher-cost RNs), we tested several new models of care through a blended approach. RNs and LPNs worked in various teams through this model to deliver care. Their goal was to allow the RNs to practice to the highest level of their license while reducing task-based work.
It worked, but we were still at the whim of outside vendors. So, we went a step further down our talent supply chain.
Knowing that our new solution would eventually be pressured by the market, we saw the imperative of creating our own pipeline of health care workers.
We launched a new partnership and placement program with local high schools, creating pathways for aspiring health care professionals to enter the field and contribute to the future of nursing. Those partnerships are connecting local students with good jobs, and they are building our future workforce.
As we confront the complexities of the nurse staffing crisis, it is imperative that we continue to challenge conventional assumptions and embrace innovative approaches to workforce management.
All of our programs may seem simple, but their impact is tremendous. The transformative potential of rethinking established norms and forging new pathways toward a sustainable future for health care delivery is within reach.
Mark Mahnfeldt is a health care executive.
