The Top 3 Myths About Temporary Nursing

myths about temporary nursing... the top For the past several decades, temporary nurses have served as an efficient, cost-effective solution to fluctuating patient volumes and staffing needs throughout hospitals in the U.S. BUSTEDIT Talent shortage continues to be a pressing concern in the nursing industry. In fact, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. must graduate approximately 90% more nurses in order to keep up with supply and demand. Temporary nurses step in to fill this gap. However, a persistent misunderstanding is that the quality of care among temporary nurses is below that of permanent nurses-a misconception that has the industry divided. Let's diagnose some of the top myths about temporary nursing and prescribe some facts! MYTH Temporary nurses are harmful to patients because they are unfamiliar with the hospitals in which they are assigned. BUSTED! A common misconception in hospitals is that temporary nurses are less fam with a hospital's practices and procedures, which could ultimately harm patients. But, according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing, fewer adverse events happened when more temporary nurses were on staff in hospital settings. (Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. This study examined more than 1.3 million patients and 40,000 nurses in more than 600 hospitals.) MYTH BUSTED! Data from a national survey nurses showed that the Temporary nurses are less qualified, less educated and less proportion of temporary and permanent nurses with baccalaureate or higher nursing degrees is up from previous years. This is a promising trend because higher nursing education has been linked to better patient outcomes. experienced than In fact, a higher percentage permanent nurses. of temporary nurses (roughly 50 percent) hold bachelor's degrees compared to permanent nurses. In hospital settings alone, there are (Source: Journal of Nursing Administration, Dr. Linda Aiken) 116,000 RN vacancies. Source: American Health Care Association MYTH Temporary nurses have a detrimental effect on the permanent staffs where they work and can detract from team communication and the continuity of care. BUSTED! Temporary nurses are a skilled, quality segment of the healthcare workforce that can be easily tapped whenever staff fluctuations or crises arise. In fact, the University of Pennsylvania study found that permanent nurses who worked alongside temporary nurses reported higher levels of job satisfaction and were less likely to experience burnout. (Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing) "Temporary nurses are the key to meeting the future demands of the ever- changing nursing industry. In hospitals nationwide, this mobile and flexible workforce has proven to be a viable solution to staffing needs, whether it be patient census fluctuations, an extra weekend shift or an understaffed unit. There's no question that temporary nursing enhances the quality of patient care in a variety of clinical settings. Myths aside, healthcare leaders should continue to tap into this resource in order to meet patient and facility needs." Cynthia Kinnas Executive Vice President, Randstad Healthcare ar randstad healthcare Did You Know?