While already at a crisis level, the demand for healthcare workers is projected to continue to grow by nine percent annually through 2030.1 To overcome this challenge, hospitals are looking for innovative solutions and an integrated care approach beyond focusing solely on recruiting and HR functions.
Through contract management or joint-venture partnership, hospitals can obtain improved access to resources and expertise to help their rehabilitation unit excel while overcoming today’s top recruitment and retention challenges.
This support can enable hospitals to improve recruitment efforts and employee engagement, and can combat increasing turnover rates. It can also benefit the entire hospital’s ability to provide exceptional care across the continuum.
Read this guide to uncover five advantages of rehabilitation unit optimization that can help your hospital locate and retain top talent.
Drive Program Optimization and Efficiency
As patient acuity continues to rise in the inpatient setting, the demand for resources has never been higher. Having a team of local and national experts focused on the latest acute rehabilitation trends, quality data and best practices enables hospitals to run highly optimized and efficient units, ultimately requiring fewer local resources.
The hospital is then able to leverage the latest national data trends, while simultaneously applying the key takeaways at the local level. This provides an innovative care approach tailored to the community’s specific needs, and equips staff with the latest resources to help them become more successful and adept in their roles.
Having inpatient rehabilitation and other post-acute services available within a system’s care continuum helps patients receive the right care, in the right setting at the right time in their recovery journey. This frees up needed acute beds and allows patients to efficiently and effectively progress in their recovery and return home with lower risk of readmission.
Identify and Recruit Specialized Rehabilitation Talent
It takes expert training to obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver the appropriate level of rehabilitative treatment to patients with varying needs. A seasoned partner will have a team with both local and national reach dedicated to recruiting top talent, such as highly-trained therapists, clinicians and social workers. This helps the unit successfully locate and hire individuals who match the culture of the hospital and the specific needs of the community.
When the right person is sourced and hired within your hospital, the possibility of medical error is reduced and the level of patient safety and satisfaction rises.
Once an individual is hired, it is critical to support their career path by providing training and education. This includes resources to improve their skillset and further enhance the hospital’s care delivery and outcomes.
Provide Best-in-Class Employee Training and Education
A recent study found that approximately one in three healthcare workers intend to reduce their work hours, while roughly one in five intend to leave their profession altogether.2 A major factor contributing to these outcomes is that many healthcare professionals don’t feel prepared or properly trained to meet the growing need, according to a 2021 McKinsey and Company survey.3
Supplying the latest educational resources for team members to excel within their roles leads to better outcomes, and also helps to improve employee satisfaction and retention. This also instills a greater sense of value among team members, further reducing the likelihood of burnout and turnover. A dedicated partner with established programs for continuing education and employee development can also help a hospital stand out from other employers.
A study from the University of California, Berkeley states that the positive outcomes resulting from investing in an employee’s career and education include:4
- Increased career satisfaction
- Improved self-confidence and sense of responsibility
- Increased motivation
- Ability to better attract top talent and retain valued employees
- Greater learning opportunities for the entire organization
Live Out Its Mission and Values Through a Positive Culture
“I’ve never seen this level of disaffection between clinicians and their employers,” said Gerard Brogan, director at National Nurses United.1 A top factor contributing to this discontent is the lack of connection between team members and a hospital’s mission and values.
Connection with the hospital’s values brings the entire organization together to serve the community and achieve the best possible outcomes.
When hospital team members align with a company’s mission and values, they are more likely to enjoy their work experience, resulting in higher productivity levels and engagement. Research highlights that mission-driven workers are 54 percent more likely to stay for five years at a company and 30 percent more likely to grow into high performers than those who arrive at work with only their paycheck as the motivator.5
An ideal partner will reflect the hospital’s unique culture and mission, and will help further the mission among employees and the community.
A Reputation of Excellence
Top talent wants to work for high-performing organizations. An experienced acute rehabilitation partner brings operational and clinical excellence that can help the program be known throughout the region by both patients and healthcare professionals. The additional resources and best practices also allow for greater efficiency, leading to less burnout and more flexibility – key drivers of employee satisfaction.
Reducing burnout among employees is especially critical as staffing shortages continue to rise – leaving major gaps in care delivery and efficiency.
A partner with access to greater resources to aid in not only an employee’s professional growth, but their personal well-being, can help a hospital become an employer of choice within their community.
The Benefit of Partnership for Rehabilitation Staffing Success
Now more than ever, hospital staff members are looking for an employer who invests in their employees. More hospitals are utilizing resources to maintain employee engagement, enhance skill sets and aid in setting a work-life balance. What sets successful hospitals apart is their choice to partner with an expert in the field.
Through a history of successful joint-venture partnerships and management agreements, we work with hospitals to more effectively meet the needs of their patients, generate quality outcomes – and ultimately foster long-term employee satisfaction.
References
- Boston-Fleischhauer, C., & Critchleey, N. (2021, November). 6 hard truths about the nursing shortage the entire C-suite needs to know. Advisory Board. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.advisory.com/blog/2021/11/ nursing-shortage
- Sinsky, C. A., Brown, R. L., Stillman, M. J., & Linzer, M. (2021, December 8). Covid-related stress and work intentions in a sample of US Health Care Workers. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S2542454821001260
- Berlin, G., Lapointe, M., Murphy, M., & Viscardi, M. (2021, July 1). Nursing in 2021: Retaining the healthcare workforce when we need it most. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.mckinsey. com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/ourinsights/ nursing-in-2021-retaining-the-healthcareworkforce- when-we-need-it-most
- University of California, Berkley. (2021). Career Development. For Career Development | People & Culture. Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https:// hr.berkeley.edu/hr-network/central-guide-managing-hr/ managing-hr/managing-successfully/development/career.
- Marie-Claire Ross, G. A. I. C. D. (2018, May 28). 5 reasons why mission-driven leaders are the most successful. LinkedIn. Retrieved October 7, 2021, from https:// www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-reasons-why-mission-drivenleaders- most-successful-ross-gaicd/.
