Wanted: Healthcare Professionals
The shortage of nurses may be most well known to the public but there is a need for healthcare workers throughout the profession. Qualified healthcare professionals such as lab technologists, pharmacists and radiological technologists are in greater demand than ever, reports Health Leaders Media magazine.

Hospitals are beginning to feel the strain of the workforce shortage. The shortage of lab technologists and technicians often slows turnaround times for tests and interrupts the flow of patient care, the magazine reports. The shortage of pharmacists has forced many facilities unable to find 24-hour coverage to find alternatives such as temporary pharmacists to fill in or the use of automated systems to review medication orders. The lack of radiology techs can cause backups that slow diagnosis and treatment.

Although the focus is currently on recruiting more nurses, the magazine reports that hospitals are starting to consider more aggressive recruiting strategies for other skilled healthcare workers who also are in high demand.

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Nurses Consider How Far Paychecks Go
Nurses’ salaries vary widely across the United States and nurses will sometimes move across the country to gain a bigger paycheck. An article in the May/June issue of Nursing Economic$ suggests nurses investigate how the cost of living will affect the purchasing power of their new paycheck.

Authors Linda Lacey and Jennifer Nooney compared state-level salary information with state-level cost-of-living averages to find the actual purchasing power of nurses’ paychecks. The writers found states with high nurse salaries often ranked much lower when factoring in the cost of living, while states with relatively low salary levels often move up in the ranking. For example, California had the highest average annual salary when looking at salary alone; however, after adjusting for the cost of living, California ranked 44th.

The authors say looking at the total compensation package (medical benefits, holidays, vacation time, sick leave, etc.) will become increasingly important as competition for nurses intensifies between states and regions.

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Hospitals Prepare for More Obese Patients
Obesity in the United States  is on the rise and hospitals are revamping themselves to accommodate an influx of obese patients, Reuters Health reports. According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, the number of obesity-related surgeries has quadrupled since 2000. Hospitals have responded by creating separate wings or whole floors for obese patients to keep up with demand. In fact, the American Hospital Association reports that the number of hospitals running obesity programs has risen by 45 percent since 2002. As a result of these programs, obese patients can expect rooms with wider doorways, beds that can hold up to 1,000 pounds and lift systems that can help move them when necessary.