Nurses are the backbone of any clinic. They often make up more than half of a medical facility’s staff, so hiring the best nurses is essential. But with so many applicants, how do you know which ones will fit into your team and be productive? Hiring the wrong nurse can be a nightmare.
If you don’t have enough nurses to cover shifts and one of them is unprofessional or difficult to work with, it can negatively impact the morale and productivity of everyone else on staff. Here are five mistakes to avoid when hiring nurses for your clinic:
Not Doing a Proper Background Check
You can’t always judge a book by its cover, but you can usually tell if someone is a good or bad fit for your team by doing a thorough background check.
The best way to do this is with an employment screening company specializing in healthcare staffing. These companies will run background checks on potential employees and alert you if anything could be problematic. In addition to a standard background check, you should also run a criminal history search and check for any previous convictions.Â
Also Read: 5 Challenges that Nurses Encounter And Ways to Overcome Them)
Not Doing a Drug TestÂ
Many states require that healthcare providers do random drug testing, but this is only sometimes the case. If you don’t want to get caught up in red tape, consider doing regular urine tests on existing and new employees. This will ensure that your staff members are not using drugs or alcohol while on the job, which could lead to serious patient safety issues. If you are in a state that does not require drug testing, it’s still a good idea to do it. The cost of hiring an employee using drugs or alcohol can be very high, so why not take steps to prevent this from happening?
Also Read: 7 Strategies Nurses Can Use to Enhance the Patient Experience
Not Having Employee HandbooksÂ
Having an employee handbook for your practice is a good idea because it helps ensure that everyone has the same understanding of what is expected of them. Make this a part of your healthcare staffing and retention process.
Include policies regarding overtime and shift swaps, as well as disciplinary procedures for employees who violate these rules. You should also have information on how to report workplace injuries or illnesses, how to make a complaint, and what the company’s sexual harassment policy is.Â
Also Read: 8 Ways for Nurses to Adapt to New Work Environments
Not Understanding their Working Style
Every nurse has a unique working style. Some are more independent and prefer to work without direct supervision, while others need frequent feedback. Some nurses like to make decisions independently, while others want to discuss everything with the charge nurse before taking action. You must understand each employee’s style so that they can be as productive as possible in your unit. In addition, you must be able to adapt your style so that it meshes well with each employee.
Not Providing FeedbackÂ
A manager must provide regular staff feedback to improve their performance. You should discuss what went well and what didn’t during each shift and offer praise when warranted. If you don’t provide regular feedback, your staff will be unable to improve their performance. If they don’t know what they are doing right or wrong, they won’t be able to fix any problems that arise. If you provide feedback but only criticize your staff, they will become discouraged and may find it challenging to come to work each day.
Conclusion
Hiring staff for your healthcare practice is a crucial decision and one you must take seriously. You must ensure that you find suitable candidates for your team and that they are fully trained in their roles. If you take these steps, you’ll be able to run a more effective practice and provide better care for your patients.
