As someone working in a healthcare staffing agency or handling health care careers in Canada, it can feel like a hefty responsibility to staff facilities with the ideal mixture of qualified, reliable and capable professionals to ensure patients receive the best possible care.
After all, people seeking assistance from hospitals, physio clinics, and medical centres do so in hopes of improving their quality of life, thereby placing a lot of trust in those providing their care, and it’s not something that should be taken lightly.
That said, depending on a facility’s location, namely those in more rural areas and communities, prioritizing which services are most necessary and which can be outsourced or delegated to nearby larger centres can be a challenging balance to strike. This is particularly relevant when it comes to considering whether or not your facility requires rehab staff.
The term ‘rehab’ – short for rehabilitation – staff can encapsulate many different roles, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation assistants, and speech therapists, all of whom work alongside patients to help them recover from accidents, injuries, illnesses or surgeries.
Here are just a few reasons why exploring the possibility of bringing on rehab staff could transform your facility’s capacity and enhance the quality of care.
Easing workloads while improving patient outcomes
When considering recovery periods, rehab staff serve as an essential component for patient care in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, nursing facilities, and outpatient clinics.
They occupy some of the most critical medical jobs in Canada, helping patients recover faster while achieving better, longer-lasting outcomes following injuries, illness and surgery.
For example, hiring professionals for physiotherapist jobs in B.C., especially more remote communities, can help alleviate the workloads for other medical professionals by having staff solely dedicated to creating targeted therapies and exercises for patients. This allows patients to work on regaining their strength, mobility and independence while promoting more efficient, streamlined patient processes.
Another impact of introducing rehab staff to your facility is minimizing the length of stay in hospitals or nursing facilities by helping patients recover faster and more effectively. This leads to more beds being made available sooner for incoming patients who need them.
Increased access to care
Typically, when seeking qualified professionals for health care jobs in Canada, the regions experiencing the most difficulty in health care staffing are remote communities. Staff shortages result in many patients having to travel far distances to receive appropriate care.
Medical wait times are already notorious in Canada, and the durations for receiving rehab services are no different, often resulting in prolonged pain, immobility, and discomfort for those waiting to be seen.
Hiring more rehab workers in remote locations can help increase patients’ access to care for those who genuinely need it, and thus reduce waitlists. This will ensure that patients receive treatment sooner rather than later, which will optimize long-term outcomes.
Improving staffing levels
It’s no secret that, on top of long wait times, the Canadian medical system is also severely understaffed in both high-traffic and remote areas, resulting in decreased morale, longer hours and increased wait times.
Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, and other rehab roles are always in high demand. Hiring more rehabilitation professionals can serve as a natural solution to staffing deficiencies and shortages, presenting a solution to help ensure there is adequate staff to provide high-quality care to patients, regardless of whether they live in urban or smaller rural communities.
Broadening your facility’s realm of expertise
As anyone living in a highly populated area knows, getting a prompt specialist consultation can be difficult. As we alluded to previously, this point is further emphasized in remote communities, causing many people to travel to neighbouring communities to receive the care they need.
Hiring qualified rehabilitation staff allows patients to receive expert personalized care for their particular needs without the physical and financial sacrifice of travelling to get it. Hiring experienced professionals trained in best practices also broadens the scope and medical collaboration within a facility.
For example, if a patient suffered a stroke or experienced an injury that impacted their mobility, having an experienced physical therapist on hand can ensure the patient receives a curated exercise regimen during their inpatient stay, and in the community following their hospital discharge. This consistent practice can lead to improved function over time while alleviating the risk of immobility during recovery periods.
Picking the right people
The desire to hire rehabilitation staff is one thing, finding the appropriate people to fill these roles is another task entirely. Luckily, ProMed HR Solutions is here to help.
ProMed specializes in staffing a variety of healthcare specialties, possessing a comprehensive collection of qualified, passionate and eager rehabilitation professionals seeking new locum opportunities.
We understand the obstacles organizations face when seeking top talent, and realize that it’s not just about hiring someone, it’s about the quality of the people that are hired.
Understanding that people truly make the place, we work diligently to match experienced and skilled professionals that have the right personality with appropriate locum opportunities. We strive to ensure the rehabilitation needs of facilities, and patients are fulfilled and expectations are exceeded.
To learn more about ProMed HR Solutions, visit promedhr.ca.
