There is an imbalance in many healthcare organizations’ medical staffing—and it’s leading to employee burnout.
Nowadays, burnout adversely affects one in every three physicians. Particularly in these years following the COVID-19 pandemic, the strain on our full-time doctors and nurse practitioners is extensive. Even the most committed, talented, and motivated medical professionals can only do so much demanding and extensive work before they need help.
That’s where medical moonlighting and locum tenens employees can help. When healthcare organizations bring in medical moonlighting and locum tenens professionals, they balance employee roles and responsibilities to help ensure physicians and nurse practitioners avoid burnout and patients receive their best care.
How Staffing Imbalances Affect the Health Industry
Imbalances in medical staffing, and the resultant employee burnout, impact every facet of the healthcare industry, from medical professionals and hospital administrators to public health at large. Here are a few examples:
1. Medical Staffing Imbalances Exacerbate Existing Workplace Shortages
Medical staffing imbalances and employee burnout exacerbate an already decreasing health worker supply in the U.S.
It’s a cyclical problem: full-time medical professionals are being overworked, leading to workplace attrition. Thus, fewer medical professionals are available, leading to more doctors being overworked.
2. Burnout Costs Healthcare Organizations Money
Healthcare organizations pay a minimum of $500,000 for each physician that leaves due to professional burnout. In addition, vested employee departures often result in errors in administration and medical care, which are estimated to cost healthcare organizations $20 billion annually, with longer patient length of care due to improper or delayed treatments.
3. Medical Staffing Imbalances Hurt Patient Care
By far, the greatest cost is the negative effect of medical staffing imbalances on patient care.
100,000 patient deaths each year can be attributed to hospital errors and lapses likely exacerbated by employee burnout, turnover, and improper staffing.
How Medical Moonlighting & Locums Help Healthcare Organizations
Fortunately, medical moonlighting and locum tenens help balance medical and mitigate the issues that arise from medical burnout.Â
Locum tenens and moonlighting placements address medical professional burnout at the source, ensuring full-time employees are not required to work beyond their scope. A solid stable of medical moonlighters available for high occupancy times and day-to-day support can keep full-time rested and fresh—while providing their own exceptional care and expertise.
A healthy and supported full-time limits the cycle of employee burnout and attrition—and all the resultant costs for healthcare facilities. Ultimately, with medical moonlighting assistance, healthcare organizations can provide patients with better treatment, resulting in a shorter and cost-efficient length of care.
OnCall Solutions: A Medical Moonlighting and Locum Tenens Provider
OnCall Solutions is proud to help reduce the strains of burnout on healthcare facilities by providing qualified locum tenens and medical moonlighting from their local areas and beyond. OnCall Solutions’ medical staffing services lower overhead and margin requirements, helping healthcare organizations remain cost-efficient.
Are you looking for assistance for your medical team? Reach out to OnCall Solutions today, and let us help support your organization, your medical workers, and your patients.
