As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, some hospitals have had to shift how they use supplemental staffing. Part of the nurse manager job duties is determining where staffing levels need to increase and decrease. In some cases, supplemental staffing jobs were cut due to a decrease in elective medical procedures, which are not considered emergencies and are scheduled in advance. In the cases of COVID treatment, supplemental nursing staffing is on the rise. Georgia Reiner, a senior risk specialist at the Nurses Service Organization (NSO) insurance company, told Minority Nurse that travel nurses have been in the highest demand in hard-hit areas that include New York and Washington state, and in specific specialty areas including critical care and med/surg. “Travel nurses are in high-demand across the United States as hospitals work to treat surges of coronavirus (COVID-19) patients,” Reiner said. “This crisis arrived at a time when nurse staffing was already a concern due to a multitude of factors, including the growing health care demands of an aging population and nurses aging out of the workforce. Therefore, the demand for travel nurses seems to be primarily driven by a need to build up hospital capacity to handle the influx of COVID-19 patients.” For nurse executives who are determining staffing levels during the pandemic, understanding how supplemental nursing staffing can help is essential to quality care. At Duquesne University, RNs who attend the online DNP program are prepared to take on a multitude of responsibilities including fulfilling RN-to-patient staffing ratios and safe staffing.
About Duquesne University’s Online DNP Program
Duquesne University’s online DNP program trains RNs for clinical leadership positions. The university’s curriculum encourages positive changes and professional accountability in healthcare. Students learn how to build on existing experiences and knowledge and implement evidence-based practices in clinical settings. The online DNP program offers three DNP tracks:- Clinical Leadership DNP
- Post-Bachelor’s Executive Nurse Leadership DNP
- Post-Master’s Executive Nurse Leadership DNP
