As the New Year bears down on us, healthcare facilities must develop their staffing plan for 2020. But it’s also essential that you focus on the long-term as well — two, four, or even five years ahead of time is not too far out to consider! When you understand and prepare for future staffing needs and put action steps in place to achieve those goals, you’re ensuring the continued success of your facility.
Let’s take a look at four tips for preparing next year’s staffing plan.
Understand Where You Are Now
The first step is to analyze your current staffing situation. Use the HR department’s employee information and payroll data to get a clear picture of your facility’s ongoing operations. You’ll want a bird’s-eye view of existing resources, skill sets of existing staff, potential flight risks, and current open positions. When you know where your staffing situation stands at present, you’ll know where you need to go next.
Find Out Where You Need to Go
Think about your facility’s goals in terms of staffing to determine where your company needs to go. Do you need more nurses? A change in supervisors? Individuals who can cover specialty positions? Extra holiday coverage? You can look back at the shortcomings of the previous year and try to predict what you might need again this year. Make these goals clear to everyone involved in the staffing process before moving on to the next step: strategic planning.
Start Strategic Planning
Now comes the time to put down a few action steps that will get you where you need to be in 2020 and beyond. Layout specific timelines for recruiting, as well as a budget for your staffing needs. See where your facility may be able to make cuts, and where it needs additional funding. This kind of forecasting is an essential part of planning a new staffing plan.
Partner With a Medical Staffing Agency
Of course, it’s not always plausible or even possible to take care of all of your staffing needs in-house. That’s why partnering with a medical staffing agency is one of the easiest ways to bring your 2020 staffing plan to life. All of the hard work is done for you — you’ll have the top talent sourced, interviewed, and hired on without any of the hassle.
Ready to make your staffing worries disappear as you’re creating your next healthcare staffing plan? Reach out to BOS Medical for help.
