When COVID-19 started to take over the world, medical clinics and hospitals were not ready. Medical staffing agencies have been working hard to help give patients the care they need, but there are gaps around the world that are hard to fill. There are some tips below that will help your hospital, medical clinic, or staffing agency prepare for what is to come.
Find Travel Nurses
FirstPRO recommends that you find travel nurses when you can. Travel nurses can come into the area, relieve many of your staffers, and help provide excellent care. You may need travel nurses who have come from an unaffected area or you might want travel nurses who have been working during the pandemic. Hiring just a few extra people can make a big difference in a large hospital.
Stagger Your Shifts
You must stagger your shifts so that your best practitioners get time off. They likely want to keep working because they need to help people, but these practitioners either need to be tested or be sent home to rest. You can stagger your shifts to give these professionals rest, and you can bring in extra travel nurses who will help.
Medical staffing agencies can provide you with contact information for doctors and nurses who live outside the area, and you can request their services at any time.
They Are Calling Some Practitioners Out Of Retirement
Some medical staffing agencies like FirstPRO are calling people out of retirement. Anyone who has medical training or still has a license is being asked to help in any way that they can. This is a good way for these retired professionals to help, and the staffing agencies can put experienced people in the places that need the most help.
Staffing Agencies Are Hiring Right Now
Medical staffing agencies are hiring right now. They are looking for people who have medical technician training, or they are hiring students who are close to graduating from nursing school. Someone who cannot get a job right now because all the hospitals are flooded with patients can work for a medical staffing agency.
These agencies allow new hires to work in many different places, and they might get permanent jobs when the crisis is over. Because this is such a sensitive time, new hires should be prepared to be sent to the places that need the most help.
Home Care Professionals Are Working Where They Can
Home health professionals have been asked in some cases to work in hospitals or medical clinics to treat patients. These home health professionals can check on families that are in quarantine, and home health professionals know how to assist medical professionals in hospitals. If you have worked in home health care in the past, you might get a job with a staffing agency that needs more people to help hospitals and medical clinics. This is a good way to start in the nursing field, or you could pick up extra hours because some people cannot afford home health care.
Medical Staffing Agencies Are Offering Hazard Pay
Medical staffing agencies are offering hazard pay to those who are working on the COVID-19 outbreak. People who are just getting into the medical field or who want to make more money could start working for-hire with a staffing agency. You could be sent to the places that have been affected the most, and you could continue to make money so long as your services are needed. As mentioned above, you may find a permanent position when the crisis is over because the hospital you were working at needs your assistance.
Conclusion
When you are looking for help with medical staffing, you should consider what a medical staffing agency can do for you. These agencies can bring travel nurses to your facility, or they can help bring retirees in to help. You can hire new people to stagger your shifts, and you can give patients the best care possible. Those who are hired by medical staffing agencies might get permanent jobs when the crisis is over because these facilities will need more people to help with the cleanup and aftermath.
