Help wanted? Morale and care may suffer

The time it takes to hire key personnel is having a negative effect on most healthcare organizations, according to a CareerBuilder study released last week. Forty-eight percent of nursing jobs and 39% of allied health jobs go unfilled for six weeks or longer, on average. Nursing jobs go unfilled for 12 weeks or longer at 20% of healthcare organizations.

The nationwide survey—conducted online by Harris Interactive from May 14 to June 5, among a representative sample of more than 200 full-time, private sector hiring managers and HR professionals for healthcare employers—found that extended vacancies are negatively affecting healthcare organizations in a variety of ways, including patient care.