The top 10 advantages of reducing the nursing shortage
The medical field can be a highly rewarding and important career. Nurses will always be in demand, and due to the pandemic, there is a serious shortage in this profession.
It is vital to the success of any medical practice to have as many nurses as possible so it is essential to reduce the effects of this nursing shortage by encouraging individuals to become nursing graduates.
Necessary skills for nurses
Here are some of the traits and skills a nurse should possess:
- Teamwork – It’s a fact that nurses don’t work alone so it’s crucial to be able to work with others.
- Effective communication – Being able to communicate well with people in medical establishments is essential. Working with patients also requires being able to talk easily with others and listening when necessary.
- Managing time – Sticking to a schedule is something a nurse must stay on top of. It’s necessary to consider the amount of time it takes for the treatment of each patient and to manage time effectively.
- Detail-oriented – You must pay close attention to many details when working in the medical field. Watching patients’ symptoms closely is just one part of the job, and taking detailed notes will also be necessary.
- Empathy for others – Working with very ill patients is challenging so having a certain amount of compassion and empathy for others is important.
- Think critically – Many situations will arise during the day that require a great deal of critical thinking. Being able to put a lot of thought and effort into each patient and the various situations is vital.
- Strong commitment – It takes time to become a nurse, and once you invest the energy into your education, you’ll want to stick with it. Being committed to your profession is vital to having a successful career.
- Physical strength – It’s essential for nurses to have enough stamina and strength to assist frail patients. This is often necessary with very ill and elderly individuals.
Bear in mind that the more of these skills nurses have going into the field, the greater the possibility of success. While it may not be imperative to have every one of these traits, it can be helpful to have several if you want to assist others with medical care.
Having a full staff of nursing professionals can reduce the chances of primary care provider shortage. Here are 10 advantages of reducing the nursing shortage.
1) You can schedule more patients
When clinics and hospitals have more nurses, more patients can be scheduled for care. Maintaining a certain number of patients is essential for any establishment to remain open to the public.
The more nurses on staff, the easier it will be to see patients as necessary. Here are many of the tasks nurses carry out daily:
- Keep the office running smoothly and allowing patients to be seen quickly
- Having a sign-up sheet where the patient can sign in upon arrival
- Ensure all patients get the proper care within a short turnaround
- Make sure the facility is in the best condition and consistently kept clean
- Assist with the conversation with the individuals visiting the facility for optimal results
- Avoid overbooking patients and causing a backlog of visitors
- Communicate well with each patient and provide all the proper paperwork within the allotted amount of time
2) You can provide better care
Patients will visit a particular medical facility to get top-rated care. Addressing all health concerns should be at the forefront of the mind of any nurse who wishes to graduate with success.
The more nurses on staff, the greater the amount of expertise there will be in the office. Each nurse has a different set of skills, and this means each patient will get the proper attention and care.
Not having enough medical professionals can be devastating to any healthcare provider. It’s a fact there are many choices when it comes to seeing a primary care physician, and being able to give the very best care and treatment is vital.
By partnering with reliable healthcare staffing solutions, healthcare providers can reduce the nursing shortage and ensure better patient care. It will help maintain the business reputation for delivering top-rated care and attracting patients seeking the best treatment options.
Furthermore, proper use of medical supplies, such as gauze pads, as demonstrated by resources like PlastCare USA, can enhance efficiency in patient care and contribute to mitigating the effects of the nursing shortage.
3) You can offer telephone triage services
Many emergencies occur on any given day at a medical office. One of the top methods for reducing the workload of medical providers is by providing a triage service.
Below are some of the tasks a triage nurse can complete while on the job:
- Review the health status of a patient and provide updates to the doctor through video chat or phone
- Answer questions on the phone to avoid an office visit
- Refill prescription requests electronically or by calling the pharmacy
- Making critical decisions via video chat or phone and directing the patient in the right direction
- Discuss conditions that aren’t an emergency to assist in getting the best outcomes
- Provide support for patients dealing with a difficult situation
Telephone triage nurses are a huge advantage to any healthcare provider. Studies show that triage nurses earn an average of $61,174.
4) You can offer more procedures
Reducing the nursing shortage will help ensure facilities can offer additional medical procedures. This alone will encourage more people to visit the healthcare office and be treated as soon as symptoms arise.
Below are many of the medical tests that can easily be given with additional nurses onboard:
- Give allergy injections to patients with severe symptoms
- Take bloodwork and send it to a lab for testing
- Provide flu shots and other necessary vaccinations as necessary
- Complete pap smears for women of all ages
- Set a cast and work to repair a fracture or broken bone
- Do X-rays of all types for any issues a patient may be experiencing
- Offer physical examinations for individuals participating in sports
- Complete breast exams, and in some offices, do a mammogram
- Do a complete pelvic exam when any pain or other issues arise
- Test for glucose and help diagnose diabetes
- Put contraceptive devices in place and remove these
- Give joint injections to patients when necessary
- Arrange for the patient to come into the office and receive various essential shots
- Take off casts supporting a fracture or broken bone
- Take a cholesterol test to determine if the patient needs to be placed on cholesterol-lowering drugs
5) Less stress for other nurses
Being a nurse can be a very stressful job so more nursing graduates would reduce the responsibilities on the current nurses, making this a better place for all parties to work. Adding the maximum number of nurses necessary will assist in alleviating the load of all employed professionals at any medical facility.
Delegating tasks between an adequate team is an ideal way to keep the nursing staff healthy and less stressed.
6) You can run a more efficient practice
Embarking upon a nursing career is certain to be a challenge. However, the good news is when you do graduate with a nursing degree, this allows any practice to be more efficient.
There are benefits for the patient and the clinic, and these are listed below:
- Fewer wait times for all your patients
- Word of mouth can increase the number of patients you have
- More time is allowed for patients to assist in providing top care
- Decreased risk of infections by keeping the patients moving out quickly
- Offering a more sterile environment for all the patients
- Increasing the profit of the primary care facility with greater ease
- Receive better online reviews
- Allow each day to run much more smoothly and be less stressful for the nursing staff
- Helps patients have a better understanding of the amount of time that will be spent in the medical facility
7) You’ll get better online reviews
One of the top methods individuals use to learn more about a medical facility is looking online at reviews. Doing this can give the person a better understanding of how well the facility operates and if there is a nursing shortage.
Becoming a nurse can greatly benefit your local community because the primary care facility will operate at optimal levels. This can result in the medical care location getting top reviews online, which results in getting more patients. Working to reduce the nursing shortage can mean more positive reviews.
8) You can provide specialized care
If you’re considering being a nurse and assisting in the reduction of the nursing shortage, you may want to become a specialty nurse. Having the ability to cater to all levels of sickness can be an excellent attribute for any medical professional.
Here are some of the specialities you may want to consider:
- Pediatric nurse – This medical provider will care for children of all ages. Being a pediatric nurse assists young people in accessing specialty medical care and treatment.
- Surgical nurse – If you enjoy working in the surgical department and being extra sanitary, this could be the ideal job.
- Oncology nurse – Millions of people have cancer. Becoming an oncology nurse could be a highly beneficial and rewarding way to help others.
- Mental health nurse – Dealing with mental health issues can be debilitating in several ways. Not having the emotional energy to deal with life’s difficulties may cause a lot of trauma and other concerns.
- Critical care nurse – Medical emergencies can occur anytime and require immediate action.
- Nurse practitioners – Working to become a nurse practitioner is a task that will help greatly in reducing the nursing shortage. Some of the things a nurse practitioner can provide are a diagnosis and offering specialized treatment. This professional also has the authority to write prescriptions for various medications.
- Emergency nurse – If you can think and act clearly in crises, this could be the ideal job for you. Emergency room nurses are desperately needed in many locations.
9) You’ll have more available rooms
Having more nurses on staff can ensure there are more rooms available for the sick and needy. It’s in the interest of every nursing professional to always have the space needed to ensure the best medical care visit possible.
Being able to keep your patients moving toward healing faster is undoubtedly one of the enormous advantages of having more nurses on staff. More open rooms throughout the day will assist with getting more patients seen at the office.
The more nurses that work at a facility, the better the care that is available for all the individuals that visit, and this means a decreased waiting period and happier patients.
10) You’ll reduce individual workload
Dealing with patients throughout the day can lead to drama and unwanted stress. The good news is when you have more nurses on staff, this can help reduce the workload of other nursing professionals. Here are some tasks that you can delegate to your nursing staff:
- Take the patient’s vital signs, such as blood pressure readings and heart rate.
- Get the patient settled into a room while waiting for the doctor.
- Assist with many medical procedures that may require medical tools.
- Change the dressing on any wounds the patient may have.
- Check patients in, and check out those that are ready for discharge.
- Make rounds at the hospital when the doctor is unable to do so or too busy.
- Keep charts updated with all the correct information on the patient’s status.
- Provide a list of medications for the doctor to approve and take these to the pharmacy.
- Answer many of the patients’ questions about a particular condition and save the doctor time.
- Ask the patient questions and help to reduce the time necessary for the patient to spend with the provider.
- Assist the doctor with physical exams to shorten the length of the visit.
- Remain in the room if legally required when various medical tests are being completed.
It takes a special person to be a nurse
Nurses are highly valued and can do numerous daily tasks at any medical office. If every person that’s considering a career in the nursing field goes ahead, this can drastically decrease the nursing shortage.
Doing this is the most effective method for having happier and healthier patients while working to prevent too much stress for any nursing professional. The good news for nurses is this can be a very rewarding career that pays well, offers exceptional benefits, and allows you to help others, making it an ideal choice to start your nursing career.
It takes a special person to be a nurse, and ensuring you can handle a wide range of tasks and responsibilities throughout the day should be foremost on your list. Don’t hesitate to speak to the professionals at your preferred college about the requirements and time required to have a nursing career. This could well be one of the most important conversations you ever have.
Photo by SJ Objio
