Retention and Recruitment of Nurses - Essay Example

Issues Surrounding Recruitment and Retention of Qualified Nurses in Aged Care Name Institution Date Introduction Creating a clear knowledge of factors that contribute to nursing attrition and recognition of changes that would promote qualified staff to go back to, or enter into aged care workforce is crucial to attain future healthcare requirements. According to Hinshaw and Grady (2010), aged care has been viewed for along period of time as nursing’s low status area. Long-term aged care currently has been custodial in nature. An excellent understanding of what causes attrition within the aged care nursing workforce and the incentives that will promote qualified staff to go back to workforce is crucial in attaining future health care requirements. A number of studies that examine the main reasons why there is shortages in aged care nursing have been identified by several health professionals. Several articles that address key issues and plans of tackling current shortage of aged care nurses have also been published (Dani, 2008). Issues surrounding Retention of qualified nurses in aged care The main issue in retention and recruitment of nurses is the nature of aged care. Aged care is normally viewed as a field in which there is little chances of curing patients and looking after them as they recover from medical problems. New graduates therefore always select acute care because of chances of providing short-term care that normally leads to positive outcomes. This contradicts with lasting residential aged care homes in which organization rather than cure and palliative care’s provision is common. Lack of collegiality is also a factor that contributes to long term shortage of nursing. Lack of collegiality is normally realized in acute medical-settings because of relative physicians’ absence and other health care experts, incorporating other registered nurses on similar shifts (Watson & Manthorpe, 2003). The enhancing stress and duties that are experienced when working with and supervising an enhanced number of unqualified nursing employees is an essential issue in retention of qualified nurses within the aged care setting. The focus groups’ results that were held with nurses of residential aged care to check the perception of nurses about nursing assistants showed that nurses have a positive view about nursing assistants and their job. It was established that good nursing assistants are essential in the provision of quality care. Nurses however are experiencing displeasure and stress that is usually linked with the role of supervising assistants. This therefore is normally examined in relation to unpredictable assistants’ performance and nurses’ subjective assessments of assistant performance that might make supervision hard and sometimes unsuccessful. Nurses normally express difficulties on their job performance as it depends on assistance from low class nursing home employees. This as a result, might cause uncertainty on assistants and nurses reluctance in supervising the assistants (Scanlon, 2001 pp). Workplace condition is another issue that surrounds retention of nurses in aged care setting. A number of studies and reports have examined several workplace conditions that contribute to high levels of attrition within the aged care. As far as recruitment and retention of nurses within the aged care is concerned, it is not essential to take into account employment within the private nursing home because of conditions of work that are encountered by nurses in several private nursing homes. The work conditions faced includes continual changing of verbal contracts rather than setting employment contracts, promises for continual study chances, pay and holiday situations that are not attained, absence of holiday pay, precedence for profit instead of quality care, lack of qualifications among proprietors, employees, equipment and resources scarcity and finally unfair dismissals. These working conditions can make several nurses to dislike working in private aged care (ACEBCN, 2002 p.49). Continuing education and training is an issue that affects retention of nurses in aged care. It has been proved that nurses who involves in a lot of continuing education displays higher level of work satisfaction. Organized program for employee’s development and education need to be observed as long-term quality care environment and incorporated in registration and assessment criteria. Effective training is essential for employees and older individuals within the long-term care. There is however a need for cautious balance among technical, cognitive, behavioral and emotional elements Australian Government, Department of Education (2001 pp. 4-5) Scanlon (2001 pp. 5-7) argue that the Common issue that surrounds retention of qualified nurses is absence of understanding in the aged care sector, general nursing community and complexity’s of general community of understanding and skills required for effective and suitable nursing of older individuals. This can be promoted by the low enrolment rates students in professional postgraduate courses and the expectation that to operate within aged care does not need professional postgraduate education or training dislike to expectations placed on thorough or emergency care nurses. This result in recognizing that to work as a nurse within the aged care setting is a low-status role. It can be supported further by disparity among rates of pay for aged care nurses and acute care nurses that clearly operate as a main barrier to nurses’ recruitment and retention within the aged care sector. Improvement of Workplace satisfaction is an essential issue in retaining nurses in aged care. It is believed that negative working’s image in the long-term care cannot change until the people working in this kind of setting get pride in their workplace and satisfaction in the services that are being offered. Watson and Manthorpe (2003) note that employees should be able to assign the meaning and value of their work so that their work satisfaction and morale is sustained. Other essential factors incorporate positive associations with colleagues, autonomy and initial duty for care and interaction with families. The most essential factors that contribute to retention incorporate associations with administration and enough supplies and equipment. Creative plans for nursing employees’ retention are required in making a lasting care very attractive and satisfying practice setting (Elder & Evans, 2009). Issues surrounding Recruitment of qualified nurses in aged care Elder and Evans (2009) argues that the low status and image of aged care nursing is a main contributor in the difficulties that are being experienced in recruiting and retaining qualified nurses. The difficulties that are associated with gerontology are always viewed as simple, unrewarding and a place in which nurses loses their technical and clinical skills. The more technologically oriented setting’s draw such as ICUs, coronary care and absence of gerontological role models outcome in aged care can remain as one of the least favorite choices for graduates. Future implementations in enhancing the field’s image include combining forces with senior groups in advocating the rights of older individuals, educating the public and lobbying for inclusion of gerontological nurses in federal, provincial and municipal government committees. Certification therefore needs to be promoted to increase professional recognition. Gerontological nurses are essential to aged care. They normally manage facilities, assess care requirements, deliver care, supervise other people who are delivering care, evaluate usefulness of care and plan and coordinate care. Roles and responsibilities are also issues that surround recruitment of qualified nurses. When analyzing issues surrounding recruitment of qualified nurses, it is essential to identify the importance of sufficient staffing levels and assignment of apparent role-appropriate duties for nursing employees. The enhancing pressures on registered nurses to meet multiple roles at the place of work, such as receptionist, administrator, security officer and housekeeper, are being faced due to reduced funding (Hinshaw & Grady, 2010). Ageism, a generalization of age groups plus negative stereotypes of older people, is prevalent in health care sector. Aged care is normally observed as a low status choice for individuals who are entering health professions such as nursing. Education is normally believed to be the main source of negativity in the aged care. Differences and tensions between the nurses’ positive views of older individuals and the negative observations of structural context of aged care job were concluded to contribute to decision of nurses not to participate in aged care sector. Physicians are normally regarded as having least concerns in geriatric care while social employees are usually taken as having the greatest desire in aged care (Jacob, 2005). Currently in many nations, the shortage of qualified nurses is due to several factors. Many nations lack a comprehensive national data for describing the full nature and the extent of shortage. According (ACEBCN, 2002 p. 57-59), the main factor that surrounds the current nurse shortage is the higher size of patients who have more complicated care requirements that enhances the nurses’ demand with training for specialty areas such as crucial care and departments of emergency. The enhanced use of technology in aged care settings has also enhanced the desire for higher skill combination of registered nurses. The widening of care delivery settings, such as home and community based health care delivery systems, has enhanced the available job opportunities and demand for employees (Hinshaw & Grady, 2010). Absence of professional recognition, that is, disparities and image of aged care, affects the recruitment of nurses. The shortage of qualified nurses has been a major issue in the whole spectrum of health care, with the main contentious sector being aged care. This is because of salary disparities among aged care and acute sectors. It is therefore important to support the aged care’s image, value nurses within the field and current aged care along with expert colleagues as a demanding and rewarding work’s field (Speedy & Jackson, 2009). How nursing profession can reduce issues surrounding retention and recruitment As a way of tackling issues that relates to current scarcity of nurses within aged care, concentration on long-term care need to change from medical care’s focus to wellness model. The wellness model is believed to recognize expert nurses as the basis to quality care. The model highlights managerial support for further training and making of decision by nurses. Wellness model emphasizes on dignity, optimizing independence in daily living, permitting residents to maintain control of their lives and encouraging, maintaining and restoring health. Several factors that advance the retention and recruitment of nurses who are qualified in aged care homes have been identified (Elder & Evans, 2009). A number of features of successful homes have been identified. The feature is referred to as magnetic nursing home. Magnetic nursing home offers a high quality nursing care and is less difficult in retaining and recruiting employees. The magnet was suggested to create a sense of satisfaction and devotion in institutions that reduces attrition and offers an attractive recruitment opportunity for new nurses. The magnet nursing services identification program was created in America to identify excellence and provision of quality lasting care in homes. This kind of recognition is essential since it enhances community approval, homes’ support and nursing services. It also increases the ability to employ and retain employees into aged care (Speedy & Jackson, 2004). According to Australian Government, Department of Education (2001 pp. 5-8). the model of wellness is supported in aged care because of its stress on dignity, optimization of independence in daily life, health promotion, maintenance and restoration and finally it permit residents to keep control of their lives. This usually supported with respect to commonly held view that aged care is an area with little chances of curing patients and looking after them as they recover. Huge promotion is therefore necessary among many communities to enhance nurses’ recruitment into aged care sector. The wider subject in promoting wellness model is low status of aged care nursing. Though both the acute care and aged care sectors have vital difficulties in nurses’ recruitment, aged care normally experiences huge staffing difficulties, as it always perceived as poor cousin of acute care nursing. Aged care is usually taken as a field that does not have glamour and excitement and always get very bad media presentation. There is always little research that examines these kinds of issues however studies that examine perceptions of ageing and operating with the aged shows that aged care nursing’s low status might be more attributable to place of work issues than caring for aged people. Aged care establishment as a field of practice that uses evidence resulting from well-designed research and encourages originality and its rigorous assessment is probable to develop the status of aged care and to develop recruitment and retention (MacKinlay, 2006). A countrywide competitive research funding program can encourage research activity within the sector, enhance evidence to develop care and enhance aged care nursing’s status. Collaboration among educational institutions and industry is an important issue as far as recruitment and retention of nurses is concerned. It is predicted that the close association can ultimately minimize the recent costs that are being encountered by universities for clinical educators. There is also a need to adopt an interdisciplinary approach in aged care’s provision (Adam& Osborne, 2005). Conclusion From the discussion, several issues surrounding the recruitment and retention of qualified nurses have been outlined. The nature of aged care is one of the issues that surround Retention of qualified nurses in aged care. Aged care is observed as a field that has little chances of curing patients and looking after them as they recover from medical problems. Nursing profession can reduce issues surrounding retention and recruitment by concentrating on wellness model. References Jacob, R.S. (2005). Contemporary nursing: issues, trends, & management. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences. Adam S. & Osborne S. (2005). Critical care nursing: science and practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. < http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=x- 9bvh6RyBwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Adam+S.+%26+Osborne+S.+%282005%29.+C ritical+care+nursing:+science+and+practice&hl=en&ei=MSLVTdnZJI2WhQfusZ3zCw &sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book- thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CEQQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false > Australian Government, Department of Education (2001). Australian Aged Care Nursing: A Critical Review of Education, Training, Recruitment and Retention in Residential and Community Settings. Retrieved April26, 2011from Hinshaw A. S. & Grady A.P. (2010). Shaping Health Policy Through Nursing Research. New York: Springer Publishing Company. MacKinlay E. (2006). Spiritual growth and care in the fourth age of life. New York: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Scanlon, W. J. (2001). Recruitment and Retention of Nurses and Nurse Aides is a Growing Concern. Before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. Senate Elder R. & Evans K. (2009). Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. New York: Elsevier Australia. Watson R. & Manthorpe J. (2003). Nurses over 50: Options, decisions, and outcomes. New York: The Policy Press. The Australian Centre For Evidence Based Residential Aged Care (ACEBCN). (2002). Recruitment and Retention of Nurses In Residential Aged Care. Commonwealth of Australia 2002. Publications approval number 3004 Read More