Nursing Shortage Affects Independent Practices Differently from Hospitals

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

The shortage of nurses to work in hospitals pre-existed the pandemic; however, the health crisis made the problem worse. The nursing shortage has not affected independent practices similarly.

Ted Lewis, board certified pediatrician and owner of Lewis Pediatrics in Rochester, has “not had to interview anyone for a long time,” he said. “I haven’t experienced any issues with the nursing shortage. I’m in good shape.”

Although he can’t compete with hospitals for wages, he believes that nurses working at independent practices feel drawn to them because of the family-like working environment, regular hours, no holidays to staff and limited weekend hours.

“I’ve never even thought of my staff as working for me but working with me,” Lewis, said. “I’ve been really lucky for the 42 years I’ve been in practice.”

Kathy Mills, dean of the College of Nursing at Finger Lakes Health, said that among the primary care offices, staffing has done well since the pandemic has subsided.

“It’s the hospital and acute side that’s still struggling,” she said.

Primarily, that’s because more nurses crave the better quality of life offered outside of the hospital setting. The work is challenging, but “it usually doesn’t ‘follow you home’” emotionally, Mills added.

That doesn’t mean that every independent practice hires nurses with ease.

Lisa Olson-Gugerty, who holds a master’s in public health and is an associate teaching professor at Syracuse University David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, said that although many nurses prefer the better work-life balance at private practices compared with hospitals, “they tend to also pay less on average, so it can be difficult to fill positions due to the lower pay rate. I think the nursing shortage is hitting all places of employment. The shortage is not necessarily due to lack of RNs available, but due to the storm