Modern Healthcare – August 19, 2019

14 Modern Healthcare | August 19, 2019

H

OSPITALS ARE REVAMPING recruitment strate-

gies and restructuring workfl ows for nurses, who

are projected to be in steep demand in key mar-

kets and specialties within the next decade.

Some are looking toward technology—a force that’s over-

taken almost every other aspect of our lives—to help to alle-

viate these challenges.

“I’m not sure that we can say that technology can fi x the

nursing shortage, but I do believe, if it’s designed well, we

can make the job more streamlined, more

effi cient,” said Patricia Sengstack, Vanderbilt

University Medical Center’s nursing infor-

matics executive.

Th e supply of nursing professionals has

been looking up in recent years, with employ-

ment projected to grow 15% between 2016

and 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor

Statistics. However, the supply isn’t consistent

nationwide: A 2017 report from the Health Re-

sources and Services Administration projects

By Jessica Kim Cohen

Tech helping

to alleviate

nurse shortage,

experience

gaps

THE TAKEAWAY

As nursing shortages

hit the Southern and

Western U.S., health

systems are turning

to new tech tools to

improve recruitment,

retention and

education.

a shortage of 44,500 full-time nurses in California in 2030,

with a serious surplus of more than 50,000 in Florida.

Th at’s fueled by a few factors, including an aging nursing

workforce that’s eligible for retirement, an aging population

in need of geriatric care, competition from staffi ng and trav-

eler agencies, and a scarcity of training programs and nurs-

ing instructors.

“Th at leaves gaps within our workforce,” said Kendra Mc-

Millan, a senior policy adviser with the American Nurses

Association. “We need to develop methods and

strategies for recruitment and retention of our

younger nurses who are entering the profession, or

who are at a point of midcareer, so that we can make

sure that we’re fi lling those gaps.”

Not to mention, nurse shortages strain those

working at health systems today, who now shoulder

a disproportionate amount of work.

Here’s how some hospitals and health systems

are using technology to recruit—and retain—the

types of experienced nurses they need today.

SUSAN URMY

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is using tech for some of its

nursing training, including a resuscitation program using an iPad app

to help train critical-care nurses, physicians and EMS providers in

classes for advanced cardiac life support. The app simulates a patient’s

changing vital signs and responses to interventions.