Staffing OR to match demand

Hospitals and health systems are feeling the effects of the staffing shortage now more than ever. In a recent study, 90% of nurses considered leaving the nursing profession within a year. Even further, 71% of RNs with over 15 years of experience reported thinking about leaving as soon as possible. A related report from The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the US healthcare sector lost nearly half a million workers between the 2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and November 2021. As hospitals continue to navigate the persistent battle for adequate staffing, statistics like these make it more important than ever for hospital executives to be able to accurately predict and plan for nursing staff demands. One of the more challenging hospital environments to keep properly staffed and to optimally utilize is the OR.