How Your Hospital Can Overcome the Nursing Shortage and Maximize Profits
The health care field is a demanding one, which is why it's so difficult to not only find great nurses, but also hold on to them for the long haul.
If your hospital management team is struggling to hold on to its best nurses, there are steps your hospital can take to ensure its nurses stay on staff.
When it comes to your hospital retaining its nurses, here are a few helpful pointers as well as what other hospitals are doing to retain their nursing staffs.
Demand for Quality Nurses
Next to doctors and specialized surgeons, nursing is the most in-demand occupation in the medical field.
In addition, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, U.S. hospitals are expecting a shortage of registered nurses in the coming years as more Americans enter retirement and the need for health care increases.
What does this shortage mean for your hospital?
Well, it means retaining your nurses is more important than ever before.
By creating an atmosphere where nurses aren't only appreciated but also have room to grow your hospital management team will have an easier time holding on to its nurses longer while also attracting new talent.
Schedule Flexibility
Nurses appreciate a flexible schedule, especially when they have growing families at home or are furthering their education in their off hours.
When nurses are overworked, it makes it difficult to provide quality patient care and service your hospital comes to expect out of its staff.
By providing flexible schedules to your nursing staff, you're not only putting their well-being in mind, you're also creating a healthier work environment. This kind of reduced-stress atmosphere will help your hospital retain its nurses.
Career Development Services
Whether your hospital is part of a university or not, it is important to encourage one’s nursing staff to continue to go to school and further their medical careers.
According to the following article, considering registered nursing is 1 of “5 of the highest paying careers in health care,” nurses who are able to continue their education while working feel satisfied and are more likely to stay at your hospital – even after they reach their career goals.
Nurse Residency Programs
A trend that's growing in popularity in hospitals across the nation is nurse residency programs.
These residency programs give nursing graduates the opportunity to experience specific hospital environments before signing on for a full-time position. This not only makes the transition into nursing easier, it also improves retention.
Listening to Concerns and Ideas
When nurses can easily voice their concerns, it creates a better working environment for everyone involved.
If your hospital management team wants to improve nurse retention, then it's important to make sure your staff has plenty of face time with supervisors who encourage them to voice any concerns they have.
Additionally, giving your nursing staff the opportunity to express their ideas is also an important measure to take. Listening and implementing any ideas or suggestions your nursing staff brings to the table will help to improve their work environment and increase retention.
If your hospital management team is struggling to retain quality nurses, then let the pointers above help you turn things around.
About the author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including health care and employee well-being.