With a national shortage of registered nurses, hospitals and healthcare organizations must find creative solutions to the staffing problem. One way to do that is by employing nurse co-workers. Most hospitals have at least one person who regularly works alongside nurses in patient care units. Co-workers are critical in addressing staffing shortages because they can perform many nursing tasks without needing to be directly supervised. They also divide some of the workloads, freeing up more nurses to focus on other areas such as education or research. Co-workers can also fill roles that would typically require a nurse with additional education or training. For example, an experienced general nurse can assist with management duties, whereas someone with less experience may not be able to handle such tasks independently
What Is a Co-Worker?
A co-worker is a nursing assistant who works alongside a nurse. Unlike a registered nurse, a nursing assistant is not required to have a nursing degree. Nursing assistants primarily assist nurses by performing tasks that are routine and basic, such as changing bedsheets, refilling medications, and assisting with administrative tasks. Co-workers can also assist with tasks that require less skill and experience, such as making meals for patients and being a source of advice and comfort.
Co-workers are a critical component of the nursing team. They can help alleviate staffing shortages by performing many nursing tasks without needing to be directly supervised. They also divide some of the workloads, freeing up more nurses to focus on other areas such as education or research. Co-workers can also fill roles that would typically require a nurse with additional education or training. For example, an experienced general nurse can assist with management duties, whereas someone with less experience may not be able to handle such tasks independently.
Benefits of Using Co-Workers
- Decreased Risks – Being able to perform many nursing tasks without needing to be directly supervised reduces the risk of harm to patients and healthcare providers. Co-workers can also divide some of the workloads, freeing up more nurses to focus on other areas such as education or research.
- Increased Efficiency – Co-workers can perform many nursing tasks without needing to be directly supervised, allowing them to be more efficient. In addition, they sometimes divide some of the workloads, freeing up more nurses to focus on other areas such as education or research.
- Reduced Costs – By dividing some of the workloads, co-workers can reduce costs by doing tasks, such as cleaning and meal preparation, that would otherwise require a full-time employee.
How to Hire Co-Workers
Healthcare organizations can hire co-workers by partnering with nursing homes to recruit assistants and by advertising through staffing agencies. Co-workers can also come into the hospital as volunteers. To find volunteers, hospitals can post job openings and listings on community websites such as healthcarejobsonline.org and nursing assistant job boards. Healthcare organizations can also reach out to local nursing assistant associations, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, and nearby senior centers to find volunteers.
Co-workers can also be hired through staffing agencies, which specialize in finding temporary or contract workers for businesses. Many staffing agencies have networks of nursing home administrators who can recommend non-credentialed assistants.
Get Staffing Resources Checked
Some healthcare organizations hire co-workers to help address staffing shortages. Others have a policy that prohibits bringing non-employees into the hospital environment. To see if a particular hospital or healthcare organization would be a good fit for your work situation, you can use the following resources. – Online Nursing Assistant Salaries – If you’re interested in finding out what compensation nursing assistants receive at a particular hospital, you can use online salary databases to find out. – State Board for Nursing Home Administrators – To find out if a particular hospital is in a state that requires a nursing home administrator to be a registered nurse, you can use the state board’s online search tool. – Nursing assistant certification – Registered nursing assistant certification is a requirement in some states.
Benefits of Using Remote Staffing
Co-workers are an effective way for healthcare organizations to hire extra hands to help make up for staffing shortages. However, except for short-term projects, the vast majority of staffing work must be done by a person in person. Another factor to consider when hiring co-workers is whether a hospital has a supply and demand problem, where there are enough registered nurses available but not enough empty positions to go around. In this case, hiring co-workers might not help address staffing shortages. In some cases, hiring co-workers can reduce the demand for nurses. For example, hiring a co-worker who mainly performs routine tasks allows an essential nurse to focus on managing more complex situations with fewer staffers available.
Remote staffing allows employees to work from home. This helps employees make more money by reducing daily transportation costs and time spent commuting.
Stay Employed in the Healthcare Industry
Another factor to consider when using co-workers is whether the organization encourages employees to take on additional roles in the hospital setting after they’ve retired or left the healthcare industry. Many hospitals offer continuing education courses or have in-house training programs to help nurses maintain their credentials after they’ve left the job. Some hospitals also offer ongoing training programs to help nurses hone their skills and learn new techniques. This training can help nurses transition into other industries or pursue other jobs. For example, some hospitals offer to reskill programs that teach nurses how to become chefs or paramedics.
Improving Your Nursing Skills and Qualifications for Staffing Shortages
Co-workers can help boost your nursing skills, allowing you to focus on more challenging care. Co-workers can also help you achieve more with your qualifications for staffing shortages. For example, if you’re primarily performing routine tasks as a co-worker, you can demonstrate your competency by showing that you can handle more complex situations. In addition, you can also show that you have the skills and qualifications that allow you to take on more responsibility. For example, if you have seniority and experience that demonstrate that you’re capable of handling more responsibility, you can boost your qualifications by demonstrating that you can handle additional tasks.
Conclusion
With a national shortage of registered nurses, hospitals and healthcare organizations must find creative solutions to the staffing problem. One way to do that is by employing nurse co-workers. Co-workers are critical in addressing staffing shortages because they can perform many nursing tasks without needing to be directly supervised. They also divide some of the workloads, freeing up more nurses to focus on other areas such as education or research. Co-workers can also fill roles that would typically require a nurse with additional education or training. Co-workers are a cost-effective solution, and they can be helpful for healthcare organizations to overcome staffing shortages.
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