Nursing shortage: Here is what some Hospitals are doing by Sam Khan,MD

Nursing shortage has been an issue for sometime now in the country. The causes are varied and have been discussed in many articles in the recent past.

The purpose of this article is to explore the strategies US Hospitals are employing to overcome the nurse shortage.

The remedy of a problem is dependent on its cause. This is no different here. Since the causes of shortage of nurses are varied the possible solutions proposed are many too. Nurse shortage stems from lesser number of students choosing nursing as profession ,

Uncertainty created by a wrong research report in 1988 by a reputable organization predicting impending nurse oversupply (resulting in students deciding not to chose nursing), more nurses choosing to work in out patient setting creating a mal distribution of nurses in some areas of the country , dissatisfaction among nurses because of shift work, mandatory overtime, insufficient pay, lack of a career ladder are some of the common causes.

Many nurses are choosing Temp. work as it pays more money and allows some control over work hours and benefits.

In the private sector the turnover is higher then in the govt. sector.

Hospitals are doing all sorts of things to recruit and retain the nurses.

Financial incentives to recruit nurses are temporary fix in general. These do not guarantee retention of the nurse in the same facility.

Long term planning for this national problem is addressed by federal as well as state level. These will have effect though not in very near future.

A serious effort by the hospitals, nurses themselves as well as the government and the nursing organizations will be needed. Image building , making the profession attractive are the sort of things which will take time but will have lasting effects.

For the short term it is the hospitals which have to deal with the nursing shortage.

The latest news is that some nurses who are in army reserves are now being called in for active duty and sent to Germany (3 from our institution).

There are not many innovative strategies available to hospitals to deal with the shortage of nursing staff.

Here are some ways different health care organizations and hospitals are dealing with this nursing emergency:

(These strategies are for recruitment of new nurses, new graduates as well for retention of existing workforce. Some strategies are short term and some are long term. Your institution or hospital may already be employing many of these methods.)

Commonly employed strategies to attract and retain nurses in the organization include:

•Signing referral bonuses

•Salary incentives

•Flexible hours.

•Lower eligibility threshold for benefits.

•Improvement in working conditions.

•Increase recruitment in training programs.

•Recruitment outside of prime age.

•Identify cost effective and quality based practice models that promote quality patient outcomes and job satisfaction.

•Accommodate aging nurse force.

•Image building of nursing staff.

•Assign responsibilities and challenges for motivated members of nursing staff .

•Create role models for junior nursing staff members.

•Promote leadership development programs.

Baptist Hospital of Miami, Florida is employing following strategies for some time with good success.

•Sign-on Bonuses offered to all RNs and Out-of-Area Applicants ($5,000 and

$2,500)

•On-Campus Recruitment Twice a Year at each of Four Local Nursing Schools

•System-Wide Posting of all Job Openings

•On-site Child Care Center.

•Post Office.

•Choice of multiple health plans

•Group Legal Insurance.

•Leave Sharing (PTO donations to employees in need)

•Larger and more frequent advertising in Local Newspaper and Nursing Journals

•Special Annual Ads (i.e. Florida Hospital Association Guide, RN Magazine, AJN).

•Commercial Internet Postings.

•Special Nursing Limited-Time Offer ($5,000 and $2,500)

•Nursing Recruitment & Retention Committee

•Birthday Cards from Human Resources with 2 Movie Tickets

•Employee Activity Committee Events

•Regular Bonuses of $1,000 and $500

•Year-end Raffle for "Trip for Two"

•Stepped-Up Publicity of the vacancies (posters, brochures, raffle boxes)

• Employees Referrals program (RN Hires through employees referral program increased from 28% to 31% after

Introduction of Program).

•Relocation Assistance offered

•Extra Pay Option (in lieu of benefits).

•Staffing Incentive Bonus Programs (including $25 gift certificates)

•Special Weekend Scheduling Option ($7/hr diff)

•Supplemental Weekend Plan ($3/hr diff)

•Increased Base Rates and Per Diem Rates

•Guaranteed Overtime

•Preceptor Honorarium ($200)

•Special Call Back Pay (%20 or time and a half)

•Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years Holiday Pay (time and a half)

•Annual Spring Luncheon for Graduating Nurses (all colleges)

•Pay for NCLEX Review Course

•Nursing Student Clinical Rotations and Practicums at Hospital.

•Students Hired as Nurse Care Techs at Top of Pay Scale until Graduation

•Nurse Care Techs Recruited into New Graduate Training Program

•Professional Advancement Process (Clinical Ladder).

•Leadership Development Program

•Mentorship Program

•Tuition Assistance

•Toolbook for Performance (clinical, professional & personal development

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BIO:

I own medjobcity.com, a website site for health care jobs and career information.I am a practicing physician in Pennsylvania and medjobcity.com is my 2nd job.I like to write on career related issues in health care.

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