The market for qualified, talented nurses has always been competitive. The COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened the competition. As high demand for nurses has peaked, combined with the limited supply of available talent, U.S. medical organizations are experiencing a worst-case scenario in their ability to provide care for their communities. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be approximately 175,900 openings for registered nurses each year through 2029.
If you work at an understaffed hospital or medical clinic, it is easy to get discouraged by these numbers. But at Fidé we have seen how our team of travel nurses has developed deep relationships with healthcare staff members and facilities and eased the burden on organizations experiencing crisis situations. Here are tips for hiring a travel nurse to ease your medical staffing needs.
Clearly identify your current and future need for nurses
This first tip might seem obvious but given how busy we all are, it can be tempting to jump right into something without first taking time to do the appropriate planning. But before you begin posting openings, clearly identify the nursing staff you need now and in the future.
It is important to determine, for example:- The number of nurses your organization requires
- Related skill set and any specific expertise
- How long your facility will need them and the ideal length of their contract
- What seasonal changes can you expect and plan for staffing shortages
The more you can finalize these variables early on will help you throughout the process of hiring the travel nurses you need.
Get outside help to source nursing help
Remember that you are not alone. At fidé we connect hospitals and medical clinics throughout the United States with not just qualified nurses, but also management level and executive healthcare talent.
By partnering with our clients, we take time-consuming and burdensome recruitment efforts off their plates so they can focus on ensuring their respective organizations fully serve their patients. And then we focus on providing travel nurse candidates that meet their varied and unique needs.
Clearly define the “cultural fit” of your healthcare organization
Once you have identified your staffing need and secured outside help, be clear about what characteristics and values you’re seeking and not seeking in a nursing candidate. As a staffing partner for several leading medical and healthcare facilities, much of our time finding the best nursing candidates for our clients is spent asking questions and gathering information. It is not uncommon we’ll meet with a medical board, or hiring managers who aren’t sure what they’re seeking in a candidate and then come away from our meeting with a different ideal profile than what they’d originally imagined.
We craft our fact-finding questions by following the lead of our candidates' top culture questions. Some of the top concerns of today’s nursing talent include:
- Is there a cultural assessment exam? And if so, how reliant is the organization on the results, compared to the person-to-person interaction of an interview?
- How does your healthcare organization deal with workplace conflicts and politics?
- Healthcare workers need the support of their leadership. How does leadership engage and support their nursing staff?
- Nurses need autonomy to do the best job possible. What is your policy to ensure your nursing staff has clinical autonomy and more control over their practice?
- Describe or define the day-to-day work environment.
Always remember; organizational culture can shift, so don’t be afraid of changing your mind. Culture is an ongoing metric, that is why – in our goal to be the very best staffing partner for our healthcare clients – we go the extra mile to ensure that our Recruiters are asking the right questions and finding the best candidates for your facility’s unique needs.
Have your hiring and onboarding processes clearly defined
Interviewing and hiring is a two-way street. Your travel nurse candidates will be evaluating your hiring and onboarding processes just as much as you are evaluating them. It is imperative to have your onboarding processes are clearly defined as it will save both your organization and the candidates crucial time in the long run. It also can help you avoid missteps along the way. We recognize that no two organizations or candidates are the same. We work closely with our clients to develop strategic hiring and onboarding processes that are unique to them.
Always look ahead to future hiring needs
Hiring should ideally be an iterative, ongoing process. As soon as one cycle ends, it is already time to be planning for the next. Always look ahead to future hiring needs and think of ways your staffing partner can help. We are actively hiring registered nurses throughout the country. Contact us and let’s get to work.