Healthcare

In the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, one hopeful development has come to light within the last few weeks: the temporary healthcare worker industry is experiencing a surge in demand.  What the numbers are saying According to mainstay staffing firm Aya Healthcare, its statistics showed an increase in available jobs from 11,500 to 13,400 open positions on the week of March 9 to March 16—which roughly totalled to a 17 percent increase. Similarly, Fastaff Travel Nursing, another large-scale staffing firm, reported a record 257 available listed jobs as of Monday, March 16, which led to an increase of 66 percent from the prior week’s number of openings. Explaining the surge The sudden increase in listed jobs for both staffing firms comes as a result of the growing number of COVID-19 patients far exceeding the total capacity of America’s healthcare workforce.  Given that the already-tight labor supply of nurses and healthcare professionals has been succeeded by the overwhelming number of coronavirus patients, even more frontline workers are needed to fight the pandemic—especially since a large portion of healthcare workers are in mandatory quarantine.  The effects of higher demand Despite the fact that there are more than 33,000 cases and counting in the US alone, the pandemic has upturned America’s healthcare industry as job losses are being reversed by the increased need for frontline workers.  As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country increases, job openings for more healthcare workers continue to rise as well— and this total number is expected to grow even larger once testing kits and medicines start to come in. Firms, such as Fastaff Travel Nursing and Aya Healthcare, are preparing to take on the upcoming surge in demand by doubling down on hiring efforts to ensure hospitals all over the US are adequately staffed to fight the pandemic.  Beyond labor In addition to the shortage of frontline workers in American hospitals, another vital issue the US healthcare industry continues to face at this time is the shortage of available supplies to service the needs of its professionals. Currently, certain medical supplies such as protective clothing and gear, alcohol, masks, and cleaning materials required by frontline workers are at a state of shortage that has posed a difficulty in the fight against COVID-19. Respirators like N-95 masks and simple surgical masks, in particular, have caused the greatest difficulty in terms of supply inadequacy—a looming threat that is feared to put more frontline workers at risk. As a response to the current shortage of required supplies, National Nurses United (NNU), the largest union of registered nurses in America, has taken a stronger stance towards the potential hazards brought about by insufficient supplies. The group states that the current measures that are being done to remedy the lack of medical supplies and respirators “[fall] drastically short of what is needed to stem the danger of nurses becoming infected and exposing patients, family members, and other healthcare staff.” If you want to receive more updates about information in the medical industry, subscribe to our website today.