Question

what strategies would you recommend your employer implement to improve staff nurse recruitment and retention? Why would these stratgies be effective?

Answer 1

1) Ans) It is becoming more and more difficult to attract and hire nurses. Nurses account for the largest profession in the healthcare sector, yet the increasing demand for nurses is making the current shortage even more challenging for recruiters. With over 200,000 new RN positions being created each year up to the year 2026, there is not enough in the job pool to fill these positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a nurse labor shortage to reach 1.13m registered nurses.

Nurse Recruitment Strategies

Recognize Competition:

First off, it’s important to recognize that nursing is a competitive industry. Currently, employers seeking caregiver staff are competing with one another to acquire the talent that they desire. That means that nurses who are seeking work will have the freedom to pick whichever employer they’d like. Thus, employers are forced to compete with other healthcare facilities to earn nurse recruits.

Build in Flexibility:

As we mentioned, nurses are too often overworked; beyond that, they’re required to work long shifts at odd hours. Nursing is a field that demands constant footwork and concentration, and it can be taxing to work these shifts week after week. Gain the gaze of prospective new hires by providing flexible scheduling, time off, and incentives to compensate for longer shifts.

Improve Amenities:

Take a keen look at the work environment that you’re presenting to the nursing staff that you’d like to recruit. Do you have any amenities that can attract new hires? It can be a huge benefit to staff to have a few accessible amenities on site. New nurses might be attracted to a healthcare facility with a free coffee shop or a massage therapist that treats staff members. Provide a few of these perks to make employees eager to join your staff

Offer Education:

New nurses seek out positions that offer continuing education. Regardless of whether that’s a scholarship program, on-site seminars, or other resources, providing free access to education and growth resources may be the key to earning new hires.

Build Culture

Promote the current culture of your work environment. If your caregivers are distant and unkind, it can be off-putting to potential hires that are visiting the facilities for the first time. On the flip side, nourishing a collaborative, passionate staff of nurses shows your dedication to your staff. Nurture a positive work environment is a nurse recruitment strategy that many organizations don’t take advantage of. If current staff are satisfied with the workplace, you’ll find that others are more intrigued and more likely to join your workforce.

Embrace the Community

If you’re operating a healthcare facility that’s surrounded by great nearby amenities, don’t be afraid to boast about those features. Advertise local amenities to attract nurses that are looking for a new place to settle down. If your facility operates in a town that has highly rated schools, highlight that benefit. Or if your facility is near a mall and shopping center, make a note of that convenience. If you work in an attractive region, don’t hesitate to use the locale to your advantage

B) 5 Employee Retention Strategies in Healthcare:

That being said, addressing employee retention with an ongoing strategy can help reduce turnover, increase patient satisfaction, and improve the overall experience of your employees. Consider these five approaches as you develop or update your retention strategy.

1. Improve Engagement

Low employee engagement in the healthcare industry can be the result of many factors, including unpredictable schedules, excessive overtime, heavy workloads, and a lack of flexibility in the workplace. Though some of these contributing factors may be unavoidable, leadership has the power to play a role in improving hospital staff engagement. Some examples of specific actions leadership can take include:

Recognizing excellence in patient care

Celebrating teamwork

Conducting surveys to learn about the most pressing issues to employees

Taking action on the results of the surveys

Doing informal check-ins with staff

Communicating and managing change effectively and in a timely manner

2. Foster Teamwork and Communication

Teamwork among healthcare workers is an essential element in creating a positive patient experience. Rarely do individual healthcare providers deliver service entirely on their own. Most of the time they operate in teams, and providing excellent patient service requires having the skills to do this effectively. Developing communication skills among team members is essential for reducing errors, resolving conflicts, and creating clarity around task assignments. Good communication between leadership and teams is also important. When leadership is able to clearly communicate expectations and organizational goals, teams are better able to prioritize tasks and understand how their roles fit into the larger hospital strategy. Clear lines of communication also give employees points of contact, where they know they can get answers to their questions.

3. Provide Competitive Compensation

Retaining good employees requires maintaining job satisfaction and engagement among your staff, and compensation is a primary driver in this area. As the healthcare industry continues to grow and the demand for quality employees increases, competitive salaries, bonuses, and other benefits are becoming more important for staff retention. Given the high cost of turnover, it is the responsibility of leadership to weigh it against the cost of competitive compensation.

4. Give Recognition Where Recognition Is Due

In addition to competitive compensation, there are other ways to reward healthcare professionals for the valuable work they do. Although they may receive positive feedback from patients, it’s also important for them to feel appreciated by their leaders and peers. Ideas for recognizing good work include:

Annual recognition dinners

Awards for exceptional service

Extra time off

“Shout-outs” or other informal but public communications that recognize exceptional efforts and explain why they are worthy of recognition

Reward and recognition can help drive engagement and contribute to better staff retention. However, rewards can only go so far, especially when an employee feels that they are already compensated appropriately and performing at their highest level. Healthcare professionals want to feel that they are making a difference. For many, this is why they chose this particular career path. Recognizing healthcare staff for their contributions to the patient experience and the organizational goals can go a long way toward keeping them engaged and motivated.

5. Invest in Education and Continual Learning

Ongoing education and professional development can help healthcare professionals improve both their technical and people skills, both of which are essential for providing an exceptional patient experience, improving productivity, and increasing employee satisfaction. Here are two ways to promote continual learning at your organization:

Demonstrate a clear growth path: According to the Leaders for Today survey, the lowest-ranked parameter for workplace satisfaction is having the opportunity for career advancement. Having an employee development plan will help keep valuable staff engaged with your organization because they know there will be opportunities for growth in their future.

Provide training opportunities: The second-lowest-ranked parameter is having the opportunity to learn and develop new skills. Having a training program in place ensures that employees are being given the tools to help them achieve their career goals, improve the patient experience, and support the organization as a whole.

Healthcare employee retention is a significant challenge to the industry, and employee turnover is not good for anyone involved. It is expensive for organizations, worrying for employees who want a stable work environment, and does not create a positive environment for patients. Addressing some of the largest gaps with these five recommended strategies can help your hospital or healthcare organization reduce employee turnover and attract new, qualified candidates, because your employees, current and potential, will feel valued and excited about being part of the organization. It’s also important to include all employees in these opportunities—encourage everyone in the organization equally to seek improvement opportunities, and ensure they know they have your support

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