Introducing Healthcare Heartbeat: Navigating the Nursing Crisis and Building Sustainable Solutions
January 11, 2024
Healthcare Heartbeat is a show produced by Avant Healthcare Professionals for international healthcare professionals and hospital leaders. In this podcast, we provide tips and guidance on how to become a United States Registered Nurse, share valuable insights from Avant Healthcare Professionals’ subject-matter experts, and you’ll learn how Avant Healthcare Professionals transforms the lives of international healthcare professionals, hospitals, patients, and communities.
In This Episode...
Welcome to the Healthcare Heartbeat, brought to you by Avant Healthcare Professionals! In this inaugural podcast episode of 2024, President Marisa Zaharoff and Senior Vice President of Operations, Lesley Hamilton Powers dive into the pivotal challenges facing the healthcare industry, particularly the nursing profession, and the impactful strides made by Avant Healthcare in 2023. They discuss the critical shortage of nursing professionals in the healthcare industry, addressing its global impact, root causes, and potential solutions. Marisa and Lesley share their insights, experiences and strategies for tackling this issue.
0:00 – Welcome to Healthcare Heartbeat!
1:59 – Meet Marisa Zaharoff and Lesley Hamilton Powers
4:09 – The Global Nursing Crisis
14:28 – Avant Healthcare Professionals Solutions
24:16 – What To Expect From Healthcare Heartbeat
Subscribe to Healthcare Heartbeat
Subscribe to Healthcare Heartbeat for more insightful discussions and industry updates about the state of nurse staffing wherever you find podcasts.
Topics We Cover
The Nursing Shortage: A Global Challenge
Marisa and Lesley emphasize the critical shortage of nurses not only in the United States but also globally. The conversation takes a deep dive into the factors contributing to this shortage, ranging from the aging nursing population to challenges in nursing education and increasing demands due to healthcare advancements and evolving patient needs.
The beginning of the episode has Marisa and Lesley unpacking the core elements of the nursing shortage, emphasizing its prevalence both in the United States and globally. They then outline the factors contributing to this crisis and the challenges healthcare facilities face in building and maintaining their nursing workforce.
“With the [nursing] shortage and with there not being enough nurses on the floor in many hospitals, it takes a toll on the individual, on the individual nurse. And so certainly, increased workload, higher patient ratios. You know, one of the things that we hear a lot about now is, burnout, and the toll that it takes on an individual's mental health.”
-Marisa Zaharoff (President, Avant Healthcare Professionals)
Impacts of the Nursing Crisis
Marisa and Lesley passionately discuss the toll the shortage takes on individual nurses, including burnout, increased workloads, and even instances of violence towards healthcare professionals. They highlight the evolving landscape of healthcare, with technological advancements like EMRs and robotics reshaping patient care.
They continue their discussion by diving deeper into the impact of the nursing shortage on healthcare professionals. They explore the toll it takes on mental health, increased workload, patient acuity, and the unfortunate incidents of violence towards nurses.
Navigating Challenges and Creating Solutions
The conversation then transitions to the solutions needed to address this crisis. They discuss Avant’s role in recruiting nurses globally, focusing on sustainable practices, such as providing scholarships, partnering with communities, and initiating educational programs to foster local talent in countries experiencing nurse shortages.
“There has always been a critical shortage of nursing in the United States…and trying to find solutions and opportunities for [healthcare facilities] to provide an additional workforce to boost or build their own nurses has been a challenge.”
-Marisa Zaharoff (President, Avant Healthcare Professionals)
Future Vision and Sustainability Initiatives
Marisa and Lesley then share their excitement for the future, touching upon Avant’s expansion plans, including new offices in the Philippines and Kenya. They also discuss future podcast topics and episodes, including recruitment insights, success stories, and strategies for healthcare executives.
Addressing the Solutions
Finally, they discuss potential solutions to the nursing shortage, discussing innovative strategies like technological advancements, evolving nursing models, and the role of education in boosting nursing numbers. Marisa and Lesley share Avant Healthcare Professionals' mission to bridge the nursing shortage gap through sustainable initiatives including hiring international nurses at their facilities and working with Avant Healthcare Professionals.
Healthcare Heartbeat is On Youtube
Healthcare Heartbeat Is Also Available on YouTube.
Related Links and Resources
5 Long-Term Effects of the Nursing Shortage
Choosing a Nurse Staffing Agency in 2024
How Does the Nursing Shortage Impact Patient Care?
About Avant Healthcare Professionals
Need nurses? Avant Healthcare Professionals is the premier staffing specialist for internationally educated registered nurses, physical therapists and occupational therapists. Avant has placed thousands of international healthcare professionals across U.S. facilities to help improve the continuity of their care, fill hard-to-find specialties, and increase patient satisfaction, revenue and HCAHPS scores. Avant is a Joint Commission accredited staffing agency and founding member of the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment (AAIHR). Avant Healthcare Professionals is a member of the Jackson Healthcare® family of companies.
