Tackling the Nursing Shortage: Three Ways Technology Can Help

For nearly 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of working within and alongside the healthcare industry. My journey began as a nurse in diverse settings, including acute care, medical-surgical, and emergency and trauma units. Now, at Infor, I help hospitals leverage cloud-based enterprise software tech to revolutionize workforce management. 

This is a critical areas as the U.S. is experiencing a shortage of registered nurses that would only intensify as baby boomers age and the need for healthcare grows. According to a Health Workforce Analysis published by the Health Resources and Services Administration, there could be a shortage of more than 60,000 full-time RNs by 2030. 

The reasons for the nursing shortage are complex and the solutions even more so. However, what is clear is that nursing staff burnout is one of the most significant issues that causes them to exit the industry. At Infor, we recently surveyed 400 executives in hospitals and managed care institutions about their workforce management challenges. Their responses highlighted that burnout and turnover are prevalent, particularly exacerbated by the pandemic. It’s also telling that more than half of the executives identified employee engagement and retention as critical priorities.

When faced with nursing staff shortages, hospital executives can lean on technology to do two things – alleviate workload and create a better working environment for nurses while also expanding the talent pool to recruit more qualified candidates. 

Combat Nurse Burnout with Data-Driven Clinical Science

Ensuring your best nurses aren’t overworked is crucial for maintaining both employee morale and the quality of patient care. Burnout not only leads to high turnover rates but also negatively affects patient outcomes. Effective workforce management in hospital settings involves making data-driven decisions on staffing levels for each department and shift. Advanced analytics help hospitals predict staffing needs more accurately, ensuring each floor has the appropriate number of staff to handle patient load without overwhelming the nurses. 

At Infor, we call this Clinical Science: harnessing data science to provide control and flexibility over nurses’ schedules. Our technology allows hospital administrators to allocate resources efficiently, balancing workloads to prevent burnout. This ensures that nurses can focus on delivering the best possible care to their patients, knowing they have the support they need. By integrating real-time data and predictive analytics, we help hospitals create a work environment that promotes nurse well-being and patient satisfaction.

Rethink Recruitment with Personalized Talent Assessments

Think creatively about recruitment and placement to combat the nursing shortage. Traditional hiring practices often overlook the potential of candidates who may be better suited for different roles within the organization. By implementing personalized workforce management strategies, hospitals can tap into a broader talent pool and improve retention rates. One way to do this is to offer talent assessments during the recruitment process. We’ve seen this work as over two million nursing candidates have taken our talent assessment and hospitals incorporating this into their hiring strategy have seen up to a 30% improvement in retention. 

Here’s how it works. Infor’s technology analyzes the talent assessment data to provide a fit score based on each candidate’s unique personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses. This personalized approach ensures that candidates are not only matched to positions they applied for but also to other suitable roles across the hospital. For instance, a candidate applying for an ER position may be a better fit for acute care or labor and delivery based on their assessment results. This flexibility allows hospitals to offer alternative roles instead of outright rejections, thereby expanding their talent pool and addressing the shortage issue. Personalizing hiring maximizes the chances that a candidate will be placed in a role where they are most likely to succeed and be satisfied, ultimately improving retention and reducing shortages.

Let AI Share the Workload

Generative AI holds the promise to revolutionize various aspects of healthcare, from patient self-service to operational efficiency and innovation in research. By automating administrative tasks such as EHR management, claims processing, and prior authorization documentation, AI can significantly reduce the burden on nursing staff, allowing them to dedicate more time to patient care. For example, AI-driven tools can streamline the documentation process for discharge paperwork, enabling nurses to focus more on patient interaction and less on paperwork.

To realize the full potential of AI, healthcare organizations should reimagine their data management strategies, as AI models require sizable, structured data to effectively learn and optimize. Hospitals can start by consolidating medical data, improving interoperability, and modernizing data formats. This preparation not only enhances operational efficiency but also ensures that nurses can operate at the top of their licenses, providing high-quality care without being bogged down by administrative tasks. AI’s ability to support manual, time-consuming tasks frees up valuable time for nurses, ultimately improving patient outcomes and staff satisfaction.

I’ve seen firsthand the dedication and passion that nurses bring to their work. Yet, burnout and turnover remain significant challenges in the healthcare industry. By leveraging data-driven workforce management, personalized recruitment strategies, and the transformative power of AI, hospitals can create a more supportive and efficient environment for their staff. These technologies not only help in addressing immediate challenges but also pave the way for a sustainable future in healthcare, where nurses can thrive, and patients receive the best possible care. At Infor, we are committed to helping hospitals navigate these changes, ensuring that healthcare professionals can focus on what they do best – caring for patients.