Hospitals and health systems continue to struggle with nursing shortages. While exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage has been growing for years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be 203,200 openings for registered nurses (RNs) each year through 2031. Today, there are more than 4.7 million active nurses in the U.S., with 800,000 additional nurses predicted to be needed within the next five years.
The impact of burnout
According to a 2023 study and the American Nurses Foundation, 56% of U.S. nurses surveyed said they were experiencing burnout. Nearly one in five nurses said they had changed positions in the previous six months, and almost two in five said they “were likely to leave their current position” within six months. This propensity to leave was higher in nurses who provide direct patient care compared to those who do not. Surveyed nurses with less than ten years of experience—a group critical to creating a sustainable nursing workforce for the future—say “insufficient staffing” is the top influencer of their decision to leave their current position.
The nursing shortage is occurring at the same time as our nation’s population is aging. By 2050, 23% of Americans will be 65 or over—a 47% increase over 2022. Older individuals typically have more chronic conditions, which require more frequent, specialized care that only seasoned clinicians can provide.
A proven approach
Fortunately, there are steps hospitals and health systems can take to mitigate nursing burnout, improve job satisfaction, and ensure nurses are working at the peak of their license. One of the most effective ways is to optimize clinical capacity through outsourcing.
The first step is identifying the issues that lead to nursing burnout and turnover. One of the most effective ways to do this is by analyzing workflows that cause stress, exhaustion, and strain on nurses. Once identified, organizations should consider outsourcing the near-clinical, administrative tasks that can be done remotely. Doing so ensures nurses can focus on direct patient care while specially trained, offsite clinicians can manage more administrative functions such as writing notes and entering data into the EHR. For example, studies show that nurses spend 35% of their time at the bedside and 25% on “documentation, including EHR and paper charting and review.” Outsourcing these tasks gives nurses back a significant portion of their day for direct patient care, allowing them to be working at peak of license.
Organizations must also look for longer-term solutions that help them maximize the capacity of their current workforce in a sustainable way. This should include nursing education and retention, as well as creative recruitment strategies that reach beyond their local market.
Choosing the right partner
When choosing an outsourcing partner, hospitals and health systems should look for organizations that have built a team of highly skilled clinicians with an in-depth understanding of complex clinical workflows and regulatory compliance. The best organizations are those that have the ability to quickly scale to meet demand as needs fluctuate. They should also offer flexible modes of support that align with the health system’s unique needs. Shearwater Health is an excellent choice.
Shearwater Health helps reduce the administrative burden on nurses through its remote Clinical Process Outsourcing (CPO ®) solutions. These include administrative functions such as coding, pre-authorization, credentialing, and virtual case management.
Shearwater Health recruits nurses from more than 50 countries, matching each with the specific clinical needs of each organization. Through efficient, ongoing clinical support and management of nurse assignments, Shearwater helps hospitals and health systems expand their nursing workforce without having to compete for skilled talent or pay recruiting bonuses or exorbitant incentives.
The journey forward
Nurses go into their field because they have a passion for caring. Outsourcing administrative functions helps alleviate stress and increase job satisfaction by giving nurses the time and resources needed to perform at the top of their license. Embracing a global recruitment approach also helps by addressing long-term workforce sustainability.
By taking these steps, hospitals and health systems demonstrate their commitment to their nurses, letting them know they are appreciated and supported at the highest levels of the organization. The model also creates sustainable cost savings, improves labor efficiency, reduces turnover, and enhances the patient experience.
