The provider shortage combined with rising burnout levels and increased turnover mean that even top-ranked hospitals are likely to face provider recruitment woes. This certainly was the case for a critical access hospital in rural North Dakota that had just lost its sole Emergency Department provider, a Nurse Practitioner. While one provider vacancy in the Emergency Department in a large, urban hospital might be palatable for a short time, it’s a serious disruption to patient care and an added burden on other busy staff in small, rural hospitals. And, it requires an immediate response.
Despite this hospital’s top 20 ranking among leading rural facilities in the nation, the candidate pool is inevitably small. “There just aren’t many Nurse Practitioners who rank rural North Dakota as their first – or even second or third – most desired practice locations,” says Search Consultant Dan Morton. “Finding one who has the experience to be the sole provider on staff, is a strong cultural fit, and who is willing to relocate starts to sound a lot like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Read More:
Rural North Dakota Hospital Strikes Gold (Twice) in Provider Recruitment – Jackson Physician Search
