Why an Interim Nurse Leader May Be Perfect for your Organization

The use of temporary nurses at hospitals and healthcare organizations is nothing new. This type of nurse has become an integral asset to the healthcare industry because of the need for flexibility and unexpected occurrences. Just like temporary nurses can improve patient care and satisfaction while lowering costs, an interim nurse leader can bring just as many if not more benefits by contributing clinical management expertise when there are times of change, stress and inflated demand.

Interim Nurse Leaders are a way that healthcare organizations can save money
Why an Interim Nurse Leader May Be Perfect for your Organization

Why an Interim Nurse Leader May Be Perfect for your Organization

Nurse leaders (nurse managers, nurse directors, and patient care directors) are incredibly valuable to the places where they work. They are often the face of the institution when it comes to patients. Their role is to improve the experience of patients who walk in the door, to produce better outcomes and to have a positive effect on safety.  

Nurse leaders are the heartbeat of hospitals, clinics and other types of healthcare organizations. They motivate, oversee and assess the nursing staff that works under their surveillance all while caring for the patient population, overseeing and reporting on clinical matters, managing budgets and at times even taking part in the hiring process.   The role of nurse leaders touches many parts of the organization and this makes their presence in a complex healthcare environment of the utmost importance.

Finding the right nurse leader for a healthcare organization can be a challenging task. On average, the search for a strong nurse leader can take between 3-6 months, but if your organization is currently in need of a nurse leader, you probably can’t afford to wait that long. It would have immediate and potentially long-lasting negative effects on your organization and its patients if you were to wait that long. This is where the interim nurse leader comes in.

Interim nurse leaders are extremely valuable, not just because they hold the fort until permanent nursing leadership is put into place. A strong interim nurse leader can share the experience that he/she has picked up while working at other hospitals. Because they work as interims, they are often faced with many different types of situations and transitions. What they have learned at their previous interim placements, they bring with them to your health system. This knowledge is significantly valuable and can be of incredible benefit.

Think about it this way; the interim nurse leader has a trove of ideas and experiences that have already been implemented and tested out at other facilities. This means that you may be able to put into place ideas and programs that you may have had reservations about in the past with a lower degree of risk.

Besides bringing in a wealth of knowledge, interim nurse leaders can bring order to and unite a health system that is undergoing changes. A strong interim nurse leader will bring together the nursing staff and will be able to roll out programs, procedures, and protocols to improve the standard of care and team morale.

Because of their many experiences, interim nurse leaders are ready to jump in and lead when needed. They have a different point of view than traditional leaders, so they are able to come in and immediately focus on your core mission.

Because interim nurse leaders know how to adapt quickly, they are able to often make data-driven decisions and jump right in when it comes to regulatory matters. This is of special importance when there is a leadership position open. The longer the vacancy stands, the more the possibility of risk increases. Working with an interim nurse leader will allow your organization to re-focus and begin the search for a more permanent solution. In fact, your interim nurse leader may even assist in the hiring process.

It is also not unheard of for an interim nurse leader to be the ideal candidate for the vacancy they are covering.

Summit Talent Group’s healthcare recruiters believe in the benefits that interim nurse leaders bring to healthcare organizations, reduce costs, and fill in when they are most needed. If you are currently in need of an interim nurse leader, contact us. As a boutique healthcare search firm, we only accept a few engagements at a time. This allows our leadership team to work on the search, something quite different from other healthcare contingency search firms who delegate search tasks to less experienced team members.

The team at Summit Talent Group has extensive experience in healthcare. This means that we have an in-depth knowledge of the industry and the hurdles they face daily. Because of this knowledge, our team is able to recognize the individuals who have that special something and who will be the perfect fit for your healthcare organization.

Contact Seth Lee today to discuss your interim nurse leader needs. We look forward to hearing from you and to building a long-lasting business relationship with you and your team.