Vacancy And Turnover Prompts Hospital's Need For Fastaff Travel Nurses

Summary

• 195-bed hospital in southern Oklahoma
• Only major medical facility for a seven-county region between Dallas and Oklahoma City
• FASTAFF provided 33 nurses in less than seven days

FASTAFF Nurses Travel to Mercy

At Mercy Memorial Medical Center in Ardmore, Oklahoma, using traveling nurses is a decision executives take seriously. With 195 beds to serve a seven-county region in southern Oklahoma, Mercy Ardmore is the largest hospital between Dallas and Oklahoma City. For the most part, executives prefer to staff the hospital with permanent nurses from within the community. Of course, with the frequent ebbs and flows in both staffing and patient levels, using permanent staff isn’t always possible.

Mercy Ardmore’s nurse turnover rates are low, steady and predictable. With just one or two permanent nurses leaving each month, the hospital has usually been able to replace them almost immediately. However, last year when the hospital saw three consecutive months of staff loss without replacement in the period leading up to a record flu season, executives knew they had to ease strain on their own nurses while continuing to provide a high standard of service for the influx of patients. At times like these, executives at Mercy Ardmore call FASTAFF to fill critical, immediate staffing needs.

FASTAFF responded quickly to Mercy Ardmore’s needs, providing experienced travel nurses who can handle the most demanding situations, often in less than seven days. During the flu season, when patient census swelled, FASTAFF deployed 33 nurses to ease the permanent staff’s workload by taking on night shifts and helping patients in the Medical/Surgical units feel comfortable. Through frank and open discussions with Mercy Ardmore management about the types of nurses who would thrive there, FASTAFF pinpointed the right nurses to send to the hospital during a busy season.

Openness and responsiveness from FASTAFF has helped to build a strong relationship with staff at Mercy Ardmore. Though they aspire to minimize the use of travel nurses and rely entirely on permanent nursing staff, they know when staffing gaps hit, they have a trusted partner they can count on – FASTAFF.

About FASTAFF

Since 1989, FASTAFF has been staffing acute-care facilities with highly trained, top-quality nurses in a variety of specialties. FASTAFF responds with as little as 48-hours notice to crucial and urgent healthcare needs. FASTAFF has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval, showing our commitment to continuous improvement and quality services. For more information about how FASTAFF can assist your facility, contact us at www.fastaff.com or 888-859-8687.