5 Key Factors for Keeping Your Hospital Running Smoothly

From the outside looking in, hospitals can seem like large, complicated facilities with staff moving quickly through the halls keeping everyone healthy and happy. It’s not until you look closer at the structure of hospitals that you appreciate all of the synchronicity that keeps everything running smoothly. Every component needs to be in top shape because that’s what it takes to ensure staff members are performing to their highest abilities and patients have the support they need to heal.

But, what do hospitals do when they can’t seem to stay on top of staffing and operational needs due to shortages or new medical center openings? That’s where recruiting agencies lend a hand to help keep large medical networks on track. Check out these five key areas of operation crucial to keeping a hospital healthy:

Training
Hospital shortages are on the rise and expected to only keep growing. According to Forbes, the projected nursing shortage will reach a staggering 510,394 RNs by 2030. Training and development programs are becoming more important to combat these shortages. Training programs geared towards optimizing staff members efforts and abilities can play a big part in helping a hospital retain their employees. Starting with a strong understanding of job responsibilities and building a good foundation can improve workflow and positively impact the overall quality of the healthcare system. Many of the nation’s top hospitals and medical centers, such as UCSF Medical Center, have online learning centers that will help get you up to speed with their organization.

Organization
Unlike most workplaces, hospitals are in operation every hour of every day. Because of this 24/7 operating schedule, hospitals have to staff many positions around the clock. Having multiple people performing the same job spread across up to three shifts can create logistical complications. According to Statista, there are over 7 million individuals employed through hospitals in the U.S. alone. And the growing population of hospital employees only increases the need for thorough planning and the development of standard operating procedures. It’s vital for the hospital and its patients that everything is handled uniformly so no matter who has been involved in a task, the next person on shift can pick it up and get to work without hitch.

Coordination
The hospital itself is similar to one giant organism. Every member of the team has to work together and perform their role to the best of their ability to ensure everything remains operational. A well-coordinated team can improve the overall effectiveness of the hospital by providing well-targeted care and properly executing all back-office tasks. Without the clinical team of nurses, technicians and physicians working alongside the non-clinical team of medical record keepers, billers and coders and administrative assistants, the system will become backed up and the whole healthcare process will come to a standstill.

Care
Beyond working well together, hospital employees must be able to work well with the public. It’s important that when someone enters the hospital, whether they are a patient or visitor, they feel confident that all of their needs will be taken care of. This responsibility falls on everyone from the front desk reception to each doctor, nurse and janitorial staff member.

Hospital workers in all positions should always be prepared to ask patients how they can help. When employees make the switch to focusing on proactive ways to care for patients, the organization will thrive. It will also make your hospital a more enjoyable place to work, which will lead to less employee turnover. Even the smallest change in attitude can have the biggest impacts. 

Staffing
Depending on their professional reputation, some hospitals will receive dozens of applications when they post a job opening. With the over-saturation of interest, it can be difficult and resource-draining for hospital hiring staff to search through candidates to find a good professional fit. On the other end, as an applicant looking to be hired, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.

That’s where Covelo can step in to help. At Covelo, we make it our goal to match hospitals with the best possible candidates. It’s our job to find individuals interested in advancing their healthcare career and showing prospective employers they are the best candidate for the position. From nurses and CNAs to respiratory techs, medical assistants and custodians, we staff some of California’s largest hospital networks.

For information on our staffing capabilities, current openings, or to learn more about Covelo Group, visit our website or give us a call at (415) 421-4900.