By now, the general public is aware of the healthcare staffing shortage. However, what they may not know how pressing the situation really is. Jim P. Stimpson, director of the Center for Health Policy at the University of Nebraska, stressed the crisis in a May New York Times article.
“The situation could be viewed as an emergency, especially in rural counties,” Stimpson said.
Here is a breakdown of the staffing shortage today and what it means for you as a travel nurse, nurse practitioner, physician or other healthcare professional.
One of the key factors in the healthcare staffing shortage is the increased number of adults over 65 years old that need medical care.What is the healthcare staffing shortage?
The healthcare staffing shortage is a shortage of medical professionals in the healthcare system. This means that there are not enough nurses and physicians, among others, to address and care for the needs of the U.S.
According to U.S. News & World Report, this deficiency is a result of multiple factors: an aging population, healthcare reform and a physician workforce shortage.
“The doctor shortage is real, it’s significant and it’s particularly serious for the kind of medical care that our aging population is going to need,” Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, Association of American Medical Colleges President and CEO, said in a press release.
Specifically, these shortages near the tens of thousands. A 2015 report led by the AAMC revealed that the U.S. will likely see a shortage of 46,000 to 90,000 physicians by 2025. The projected shortage of primary care physicians by 2025 is 12,500 to 31,000, and the shortage of surgeons and specialists will near 28,200 to 68,700. The study was the first of its kind, as it considered demographics and recent healthcare reform (care, delivery and payment methods).
“The trends from these data are clear — the physician shortage will grow over the next 10 years under every likely scenario,” Dr. Kirch said. “Because training a doctor takes between five and 10 years, we must act now, in 2015, if we are going to avoid serious physician shortages in 2025.”
Doctors, physicians and surgeons are not the only healthcare professionals in demand. The need for nurse practitioners is expected to grow 35 percent (44,700 jobs) between 2014 and 2024. The job outlook for registered nurses is projected to increase 16 percent, or 439,300 additional jobs, between 2014 and 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Rural America is most affected by the healthcare staffing shortage.”
Where are the areas affected by the healthcare staffing shortage?
Rural areas are most affected by the healthcare staffing shortage because of their lack of healthcare providers and distance from medical care. However, remote areas are not the only places in need. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration said that as of June 2014, there are 6,100 areas that have a primary care health professional shortage, 4,900 areas that have a dental care shortage and 4,000 areas that have a mental health care provider shortage.
What are the solutions to the healthcare staffing shortage?
Dr. Kirch explained that the solution to the healthcare staffing shortage is multifaceted. He said that it requires innovation and efficiency in the way the U.S. cares for the growing demand, in addition to increased support for graduate medical education.
Some of these solutions include telemedicine, travel healthcare staffing and increasing the role of nurse practitioners in the workplace. In fact, a recent study reported that nurse practitioners give care to patients that is equal in quality to primary care physicians in many scenarios.
What does the shortage means for travel nurses?
According to USA Today, the demand for travel nurses is the highest in nearly 20 years, with the need expected to increase by an additional 10 percent this year. In fact, the orders and requests for travel nurses in hospitals across the U.S. have doubled and tripled recently. The extra demand often calls for experienced nurses in emergency departments and intensive care, among other specialty areas.
“The demand for travel nurses is the highest in nearly 20 years.”
David Votta, a manager of human resources at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, told USA Today that travel nurses are a key role in healthcare facilities because they help fill staffing gaps and serve more patients. Other research, like a 2012 study at the University of Pennsylvania, revealed that beyond aiding more patients and easing the workload of healthcare staff, travel nurses help save lives during critical times in hospitals.
“Our study showed these nurses could be lifesavers,” Linda H. Aiken, director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research Hiring and a professor of sociology and nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a press release. “Hiring temporary nurses can alleviate shortages that could produce higher patient mortality.”
If you are looking to help ease the healthcare staffing shortage by becoming a travel nurse, contact Aureus Medical Group today. They have a staff that can help place you anywhere across the country.