How Does a Staffing Shortage Affect Patient Care?
Staffing shortages are becoming increasingly common, with many leaving the field to pursue other dreams or to retire. Though there are new caretakers coming in, it's not enough to combat the shortages in some areas. When there is a shortage, new doctors need to be hired quickly, as a staffing shortage can have a huge impact on patient care.
Less Time With Each Patient
When a facility needs to hire doctors because they don't have enough staff, patients may end up being rushed through the visit. The facility rushes to try to give time to each patient, but it ends up being less time than expected and patients can feel as if they haven't been heard or gotten the help they need. Rushed visits can also lead to mistakes and misidentification of illnesses, which can impact patient health.
Denial of Care
In severe cases, healthcare facilities may have to start denying care to patients. They may send patients to a different facility or let patients know that it is not going to be possible to schedule a visit anytime soon. While they can't deny treatment to patients, they can deny the care and have the patient go elsewhere for help if there aren't enough doctors to schedule more visits. This can make it more challenging for patients to get the care they need and adds stress to other local facilities.
Staff Burnout
When there isn't enough staff to operate the facility normally, the staff that is there can end up suffering from burnout. This can mean patients do not get the level of care expected, they might end up waiting longer for care, or the staff may miss things like medication that needs to be given to the patient. Hiring more staff can help with this, reducing the potential for mistakes and other issues that can impact patient care.
Missed Care
When patients have a harder time getting an appointment and then are rushed through the visit, it's possible that issues may not be detected and the patient may not receive the care they need. This can lead to illnesses getting worse before the patient is correctly diagnosed, which can cause severe issues for the patient. If they are able to get an appointment, the staff may be so overwhelmed that they may not be able to follow up with patients properly or may have issues with patient communication that can cause further problems for patients.
Increase of Illnesses
Patients who do not receive adequate care in the hospital may end up suffering from healthcare-acquired infections. These illnesses can be severe and life-threatening, and they can be more challenging to treat. While there are ways to prevent these illnesses in most cases, they can be more challenging to prevent when there is a staff shortage. Facilities should be prepared for issues and work on prevention while increasing staff coverage.
Healthcare facilities of any type having a staffing shortage problem will want to make sure it's fixed as soon as possible to prevent issues for the patients. To do this, it's a good idea to look into a variety of solutions that can help make it easier to hire new physicians right away. Check out the solutions to find the right one to get back on track and continue providing patients with excellent care.
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