Hiring the right nurses is more than just filling open shifts—it’s about making strategic decisions that improve patient care, reduce turnover, and keep facilities running smoothly. With staffing shortages and high demand for skilled professionals, healthcare leaders need to rely on the right data to make informed hiring choices.
Here are key healthcare hiring metrics that can help facilities optimize recruitment, streamline staffing, and ensure continuity of care.
Patient-to-Staff Ratio
Maintaining a balanced patient-to-staff ratio is critical to preventing burnout and ensuring high-quality care. A lower ratio allows nurses to provide more individualized attention, while a high ratio can lead to fatigue, increased errors, and reduced patient satisfaction.
Time-to-Treat
Tracking how long it takes for a patient to receive care after arrival is essential for improving efficiency and patient outcomes. The right staffing levels help reduce time-to-treat and ensure patients get the attention they need as quickly as possible.
Identifying Staffing Gaps Across Facilities
For organizations managing multiple facilities, analyzing staffing performance at each location helps pinpoint where additional support is needed. Addressing these gaps proactively prevents last-minute shortages and improves overall workforce planning.
Source of Hire
Understanding where the best candidates are coming from allows facilities to optimize recruitment efforts. Whether top hires come from referrals, job boards, or trusted staffing partners, tracking this data helps refine sourcing strategies and reduce recruitment costs.
Time to Fill
The longer a position remains open, the more strain it places on existing staff. Measuring time to fill helps identify bottlenecks in the hiring process and highlights opportunities to speed up recruitment without compromising quality.
Cost per Hire
From job postings and recruiter fees to onboarding expenses, tracking hiring costs helps optimize budgets. Identifying cost-saving opportunities ensures resources are allocated efficiently without sacrificing the quality of new hires.
Quality of Hire
Beyond filling a role, assessing the long-term impact of a hire is key. Metrics like retention rates, performance evaluations, and patient satisfaction scores provide insight into hiring effectiveness and help refine future recruitment strategies.
Building a Talent Pipeline
Having a strong pool of pre-screened, credentialed nurses ready to step in when needed is a game-changer. Maintaining a database of per diem and contract nurses ensures quick placements and minimizes disruptions in patient care.
Partner with a Trusted Nurse Staffing Agency
Facilities that leverage data-driven hiring decisions can build a stronger, more resilient workforce. PRN Consultants has been helping healthcare organizations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware optimize their staffing strategies for over 45 years. With a deep pool of highly skilled contract nurses, we help facilities reduce hiring challenges and maintain seamless patient care.
Looking for a staffing partner who understands your needs? PRN Consultants is here to help.
