Surviving the Nurse Shortage: Strategies for Recruiting and Keeping Nurses
Noting nurses aren’t feeling good about their careers in 2023, yet they’re integral to medical practices of all kinds, MRINetwork under the guidance of our HireQuest Direct Healthcare VP Meghan Porter , are sharing strategies for recruiting and keeping nurses.
According to Porter, “At HireQuest Health one of our key objectives is to be a strategic partner with our clients on securing impactful talent. Nurses are a critical part of our overall Healthcare industry and we want to empower our partners with tips on best practices to bolster nurse retention, as well as methods on hiring top clinical talent.”
Surviving the Nurse Shortage: Strategies for Recruiting and Keeping Nurses;
Chances are good that if you’re involved in staffing a hospital or clinic in 2023, you’ve encountered the nursing shortage in full force. That’s because the nurse shortage has been so extensive and widespread, affecting most of the country in 2023. Healthcare facilities are struggling to keep nurses on staff and finding it impossible to hire enough new staff to keep up with the steady stream of those leaving.
How Bad is the Nursing Shortage in 2023?;
The nursing shortage is severe in 2023. Nearly one-third of nurses surveyed said that they would most likely leave nursing, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as their reason. Nursing strikes have happened all over the country, including a strike of 7,000 nurses in New York over better pay and working conditions.
Why Are Nurses Leaving the Profession?
During COVID-19, new nurses began leaving the profession in droves. The reality of nursing during a pandemic was too stressful for many nurses to tolerate. This is especially true of young nurses, though nurses of all generations report high stress levels at work.
In fact, nurses reported:
• Feeling emotionally drained (77%)
• Experiencing increased workplace violence
• Not having time to eat lunch or use the restroom at work
Additionally, nurses are bearing a heavier workload because they are so understaffed. That stress eventually becomes intolerable and leads to stress and burnout. Workplace stress tends to be contagious in healthcare settings, so this leads to a negative impact on patient care.
With low patient ratios and low morale, nurses don’t feel safe on their shifts. Nobody wants to feel emotionally drained at work every day, but most nurses do. And they can only tolerate that level of daily stress for so long before they have to remove themselves from it by quitting.
How to Keep Your Nurses From Leaving During the Shortage
To keep your nurses on your staff roster, you must address the factors that are causing the nursing shortage as they apply to your facility.
Here’s how:
Address Staffing Ratios
The nurse shortage began because facilities weren’t staffing enough nurses to care for the amount of patients on each shift. Increasing staffing to an adequate level means nurses have more appropriate workloads and patients receive better care.
Create Safer Workplaces
When the ratio of nurses to patients is out of balance, it’s not possible to provide safe care without adding to the existing nurses’ workloads. Even then, nurses who are overburdened are expected to provide safe care when that might not be possible at the current staffing level.
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Reduce Stress and Burnout
Nurses deal with increased workloads due to low staffing, which is stressful. Constant daily work stress is a leading cause of burnout, which causes nurses to leave the position or the career entirely.
Make Broad Regulatory Change
It’s common for institutions to recognize the impact that the nursing shortage is having on nurses without actually addressing the impact through regulatory change. Institutional change is the only way to affect nurse turnover. Making institutional changes to staffing ratios goes a long way toward creating a safer workplace and reducing stress for your nursing team.
Listen and Communicate
Most importantly, communicate with your nursing team. Let your nurses know that your institution is aware of the problem and working to make meaningful change–and then take action to follow up.
How to Fill Nursing Positions During the Nurse Shortage
It’s important to keep filling nurse positions throughout the shortage, especially as more nurses continue to leave. To address this challenge, healthcare institutions can employ the following strategies:
Competitive Salaries and Benefits
To entice new nurses and retain existing ones, healthcare facilities should offer competitive salaries and benefits packages. That includes health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off, as well as fringe benefits such as educational stipends or student loan funds.
Flexible Work Schedules
Flexible work schedules are appealing to nurses who need to balance work with personal commitments. Offering options such as part-time or remote work can attract more candidates to your open positions. Most importantly, give nurses a say in where and when they work.
Professional Development Opportunities
Like any other professionals in health care, nurses are always looking for opportunities to grow and develop. Providing access to continuing education, training programs, and career advancement paths can make the position more appealing to potential nursing hires. Offer nurses the opportunity to pursue their education and rank up to roles such as nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife.
Improved Working Conditions
Building and nurturing a positive work environment is critical for retaining nurses. This includes ensuring that workloads are reasonable, training management to be supportive of the nursing team, maintaining adequate resources, and fostering a culture of respect and appreciation.
Signing Bonuses and Incentives
Signing bonuses and relocation incentives are one of the most powerful ways to encourage nurses to choose your facility over their other options. You can also offer educational incentives by paying for student loans or offering an education stipend for nurses who want to pursue more in their career path.
Strong Recruitment Marketing
Use social media, job boards, career fairs, and other platforms to market your nurse position openings. Highlight the benefits of working at your institution and show the positive impact that nurses can have on patient care and the community at your facility.
For more information on our MRINetwork healthcare staffing offices, connect with us at mrinetwork.com .