Temporary staffing alternative
solution to healthcare shortages

If you check the help-wanted section of any newspaper in South Carolina, you will more than likely find numerous open positions for registered nurses in a variety of specialties. Hospitals and other medical facilities are using sign-on bonuses, as well as a variety of other methods, to lure nurses to the state. "Undoubtedly it is a difficult time to find nurses," says Judith Thompson, executive director for the South Carolina Nurses Association in Columbia. "But I think it is very necessary for people to understand that this shortage is not just affecting the United States. It is a worldwide phenomenon."

Thompson maintains that economics is a major reason for the shortage of nurses. Today, women have more choices -- they can be computer programmers or engineers. Many college graduates are choosing careers that offer better pay and more autonomy over working conditions and flexibility.

Due to the aging population, and particularly a large number of retirees in South Carolina, hospital workload has increased significantly. More and more older and sicker patients are being admitted. "To our knowledge there has been very little mandatory overtime," says Jim Walker, vice president of South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) in West Columbia. There has not only been an increased need for nurses due to sicker patients, but the higher ranks of nurses in the profession are dwindling down. A majority of nurses are over the age of 40, and many want to cut back hours or not work in high-stress-level positions.

According to Walker, South Carolina has commonly been known in the healthcare industry for recruiting and hiring more nurses from outside the state than graduates from in-state nursing schools. "This is why the shortage nationally has hurt us even more," Walker notes. Hospitals and other medical centers have had to be highly competitive in regard to salary. "We've been aggressive and ahead of most states," he adds. Besides salary, sign-on bonuses and flexible schedules are often used to attract new talent.

Many of the major hospitals in South Carolina utilize temporary staffing agencies that provide nurses who work on a contract basis. Also, more and more facilities are turning to traveling nurses to fill in the gaps. These independent nurses sign on for a certain period of time to supplement the full-time staff.

Nursing is not the only area of the healthcare industry that is facing a shortage. Other areas that are experiencing demands include radiography, respiratory therapists and medical record keepers and coders. "Usually there is fairly high turnover in these fields, but now we are having trouble finding people," Walker says. Currently the SCHA is working with hospitals to attract more people to healthcare professions. "We are encouraging hospitals to build relations with schools," he says. The SCHA is also working on surveys and focus groups to come up with new and creative recruitment and retention methods.