Strategies for Improving Nursing Staff Recruitment and Retention - Research Paper Example

? Strategies for Improving Nursing Staff Recruitment and Retention Task Outline i. ii. Introduction iii. Problem ment iv. Case Report v. Case Analysis a. Medical Equipment b. Quality monitoring c. Teamwork d. The adjustment prejudice e. The different impressions of quality vi. Solution to Nurses recruitment and retention in hospitals vii. Action Plan viii. Evaluation and Outcomes ix. Conclusions x. Summary/Closing Strategies for Improving Nursing Staff Recruitment and Retention Abstract Nursing enrollment and retention is a impediment that the health institutions are enduring and their availability is essential in enabling the sustainability of life. This essence of researching was to verify the proponents that influence the staffing and preservation of nurses and further define strategies that various institutions can incorporate to ensure the nursing workforce is encouraged to retain their occupations. This study did entail evaluation of the various techniques that will enhance the appreciation of this profession. It is evident enrollment in nursing is influenced by elements that are inside if not externally instigated. It was the objective of this study to examine these elements and present a comprehensive outlook of enrollment and retention of nursing personnel in the nursing occupation. Introduction According to Castle and Longest (2006), nursing is one of the fundamental professions that are necessary to facilitate the healthy continuity of existence. It entails the additional medical services over the ones that are conducted by doctors. They comprise of the prime collection of health workforce and are liable for the medical transition of patients to better form after the doctor’s treatment and prescription. It is imperative that the health segment incorporates mechanisms that will enable the recruitment and maintenance of the nurses. Schmidt (2004) asserts that this entails the issuance of qualitative attendance by the nurses hence ensuring the patient acquires efficient care. However, the issuance of qualitative attendance by the health practitioners is doubtful following the vacancies of nursing personnel in the health institutions. A proportion of the public backlash is to the management organs of the nursing institutions for their laxity in ensuring they produce competent practitioners who are capable o handling the complications of their occupation (Schmidt 2004). The rationale that defines the objectives and principles of nursing requires being the motivation of health personnel and surpassing other interests. Problem Statement According to Castle and Longest (2006), the issue of nursing morale is becoming the highlight of the health sector. Numerous nurses are displaying their dissatisfaction with the policies and remuneration with the health sector by withdrawing their services when the patients are in dire need. Universally, nursing is undergoing critical shortages, which is undermining the “quality assurance” in the clinical services. Inadequate remuneration is a chief influence on their discontent in the health segment and remains a sensitive concern of that debate. Retention of nurses is becoming challenging to numerous health providers since they are experiencing low morale within the nursing employees. Improvement of enrollment and retention in nursing is vital for attainment of organizational goals and enable the advancement of health. This review is resulting from the increase in shortages of nurses in undertaking their tasks and is severally attributed to payment issues. This essay seeks to evaluate the various aspects that define morale in the occupation of nursing. Case report Health institutions and observers are insistent on increasing the self-esteem of health practitioners. Evidently, the input of nurses is significant in facilitating the enhancement of healthy living standards. Numerous researchers are examining the subject of nurses esteem owing to their significance in health dispensation. Their contribution is essential, in enabling the sustainability of patients after the doctors perform their tasks. The researchers objective is to scrutinize the variables that could be determinant and are critical in influencing the nurse’s recruitment and retention (Thompson 2006). The resolution of the impediments that affect the retention of nurses will assist in setting of benchmarks in the health system and eventually advance the quality of life. The study will provide a definitive view on the elements that contribute to decline morale of nurses, its influence to patient care and the proponents together with strategies that will influence nurse’s retention in the health business. In addition, it will outline and give an overview of recommendations that will assist in salvaging it. Case Analysis In this literature, I will offer a conceptual analysis of the challenge of nurse’s enrollment and retention in the healthcare segment. Castle and Longest (2006) suggest the recipients of the nursing attention are patients that endure diverse complications that encompass disabilities, intellectual complications, elderliness, dementia among other illnesses. The service to a fragile client is measurable by the progress of his health due to the input of the practitioners in his care. The aptitude of the nurses is measurable through their ability to make certain decisions (Schmidt 2004). It is fundamental to consider that the availability of the nurses within the health institutions can boost the survival rate of patients since their medical mandate encompasses giving the required medical attendance to the patient. The nurse’s tasks entail the administration of the doctors drugs to the patient and untenable observation of the patient till he/she attains a desirable recovery stature that warrants them acceptable for discharge from the hospice (Thompson 2006). This paper will discuss some of the elements that influence the enrollment and maitainance of nurses within the health sector. a. Sufficient Remuneration The incapability of numerous health institutions to remunerate sufficiently the nurses for their unrelenting efforts in the issuance of a medical service is one of the proponents that influence the nursing shortage. In numerous instances the nurses encounter tantamount tasks that involves relieving an extensively hurt patient from his existing condition to a more comfortable state (Thompson 2006). This attention to the fragile nature of the patient in other situations requires the intervention of advanced high tech mechanisms that are not available to the nurses. As such, this nature of situations increases the stress gradients of the nurses since such situations demand treatments beyond their capabilities. In numerous occurrences, the patients accuse nurses of laxity in conducting their responsibilities and displaying poor keenness as to the tribulations of the patient (Castle & Longest 2006). This demoralizes the nurses from intervening in the profession since the remuneration is not measurable to the heavy workload. The remuneration of the nurses is among the least in the health occupation and contrary to the enormous tasks that they endure to warrant efficient conditions for the recovery of the patients. Employee morale is vital and one of the traditional boosters of this quality that has proven effective is addition of incremental allowances to the workforce. Remuneration of the nursing workforce remains one of the chief hindrances to retention of this impediment of retention of nurses. b. Increased Workload Castle and Longest (2006) imply the profession of nursing is experiencing shortages since the profession is proving daunting to numerous potential enthusiasts of the health profession. In comparison to the prior years the occupation had excess but the contemporary statistics are contrary since the employers are struggling to enroll and retain the health workforce. Currently, the nurses in the health institutions are aging since there are fewer younger workers in nursing than the previous periods. These vacancies are resultant of the enlarging workload of the nurses and increasing strain; they endure in assuring the patients acquire sufficient care. According to Thompson (2006), the occurrence of “burn out” and disillusionment of nurses is prevalent in the nursing profession as the tasks demand keen attention on every detail since a simple miscalculation can trigger the demise of a patient. Some of the dissatisfaction comes with the increasing pressure from the health authorities for them to illustrate top-notch attention failure of which they can be deregistered. There is an urgent need to instigate strategies for retaining professional nurses and add the significant support in the health segment (Thompson 2006). There is ascension in accidental cases and tragedies and stretches the capacities of the available nurses and this can be tormenting. The advancing number of patients is incomparable to the diminishing number of nursing entrants in the health business. In addition, the occupation of nurses is physically demanding since it sometimes requires physically moving the clients and exercising them. Subsequently, has led to the dissatisfaction of nurses with the intensity of work that they endure and resulting in their disregard of the profession. c. Teamwork Thompson (2006) insists unrestrictive cooperation of the management and nurses in the treatment process is a necessity to facilitate the attainment of quality. Evidently, the inability of the management and nurses to establish efficient relationships is an impediment to the retention and enrollment of nurses. In assessment of the quality of the nurses can be inconclusive if elements of cooperation are not included (Thompson 2006). If the health authorities fail to illustrate respect of the nurses and acknowledge their profession as equivalent to the progress of healthcare, they will continue with their disregard of nursing. As such, this will result into deficiency of nurses in the health sector hence impede the efficient undertaking of health services (Thompson 2006). The effectiveness of the quality care can undergo proper evaluation if aspects that encompass respect of nurses can be resolved. For example, the management has a tendency of shifting blame of the doctors to the nurses since the institutions perceive the doctor to be significant surpassing the nurses. Irrespective of the nurse, being innocent in dispensing her tasks she usually acquires the punitive implications of the medical errors (Thompson 2006). These actions from management are profoundly affecting the nursing enrollment and retention since the nurses purport to receive minimal consideration in comparison to the doctors. This factor is significantly influencing their disregard of nurses to the nursing occupation. e. The different impressions of quality According to Castle and Longest (2006), different hospitals in diverse backdrops have dissimilar definitions of quality as the separate locales encompass various circumstances. There is dissatisfaction on the standard measure of quality treatment since the various settings determine the medical attention attainable at particular environs. In remote locales where the facilities are incapable or insufficient, the patients can assume the health attendance there to be well off in regards to the remoteness of the site (Castle & Longest 2006). A client in an urban backdrop would raise his expectations further since of the locality of the hospital. These suppositions illustrate the multidimensionality of “quality assurance” that I not uniform but determinable by location. These various assertions of quality fail to consolidate a particular rationale that will be the measurement of “quality assurance” within the nursing fraternity (Thompson 2006). Solutions to Nurses recruitment and retention in hospitals Improvement of health outcome is a major objective in the health sector. Hospital accreditation is a regular incentive in health sector (Roe & Webb, 2005). Service provision and delivery are major critical determinants in terms of people’s expectations. The inducement and retention of nurse in the health sector will involve an overhaul of the policies and remuneration of the nurses. The incorporation of systems for managing the vacancy of nurses in hospitals will ensure effective operations in the health sector (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). It is important to involve all health stakeholders in the decision-making processes so that divergent opinions useful for contributing to the retention and enrollment of nurses are accommodated (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). The strategies to counter the predicament of retention of nurses will encompass the inclusion of programs and policies that were not previously available. The first and highly significant change that the health stakeholders can incorporate is advancing the remuneration of the nurses. This will illustrate the significance of the profession to the health industry and mitigate the discontent of the nurses (Roe & Webb, 2005). Handsome remuneration packages have proven to be the magnetizing element I numerous occupations such as the professional careers that encompass law, engineering among others. Secondly, the health authorities can advance the working conditions of the nurses to favor their efficient undertaking of their tasks (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). In numerous the health facilities are not in tandem with the set standards and this interferes with the working processes of the nurses since the overworking of the facilities deteriorates them. This deterioration creates an inhospitable environment for the nurses and their clients. . Roe and Webb (2005) suggest it is imperative for the employers to incorporate a workable environment that can influence the nurses appropriately attend to the patients and feel comfortable in dispensing the hospital duties. These favorable conditions can encourage the retention of these nurses in the health business. Thirdly, the health authorities require acknowledging the input of nurses as significant to the health profession. The health stakeholders require adjusting the health principles and clearly elaborate on the responsibilities of nurses and physicians (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). This will mitigate the overreliance on nurses to perform numerous medical assignments and this will make the career more attractive to potential entrants in the nursing fraternity. This separation of assignments will diminish the liability of nurses and more likely enhance their respect with the management. Roe and Webb (2005) insinuates the management team of the health institutions has the responsibility of adopting servant-leadership approach that enhances effective environment for participation. Nurses should undergo leadership trainings that demonstrate behaviors leading to staff collaboration. The fourth strategy will encompass appraisal of nurse’s activities as a sign of achievement. Nurses must always participate in recognition programs. This is to appreciate the hard work and enable them feel motivated in exceeding the expectations (Roe & Webb, 2005). Increasing awareness to the people creates information flow. This ensures that members of the public are in direct touch with the members of the public hence public disclosure in information on provider quality. This enhances improvement in the quality of healthcare through continuous learning and strengthening confidence in the public domain (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). The fifth includes mechanisms for ensuring ethics and professional principles play a pivotal role in ensuring that quality assurance is realized in hospitals (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). This accounts to adequate services that protect the rights of patients hence promotion of ethics in health organizations. This will enhancement of a tranquil working environment, which will encourage the nurses to enroll and maintain their occupation in healthcare. The success of health institutions lies entirely in the interest and commitment of nurses, administrators, paramedical staff, administrators and physicians. Lack of commitment is injurious than technical flaws in the process of evaluation (Roe & Webb, 2005). The co-coordinators have the responsibility of selecting strategies that have commitment and inspirational interests hence do not burden both the administrative and clinical staff. Participatory management increases improved retention and satisfaction of nurses, which leads to improved patient outcomes (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). Action Plan According to Rosdahl, & Kowalski (2008), activities in quality assurance such as assessment of healthcare vacancies and monitoring nurse’s turnover and auditing help in decision making of necessary actions the health stakeholders require to undertake. Constant external and internal audits on personnel to be held in the health organizations to guarantee transparency and accountability amongst the workers. This is because nursing is a costly expenditure hence financial management is vital. Rosdahl, & Kowalski (2008) suggest nursing as a profession requires tools for managing supply, equipment and human resources. The productivity of nursing is established against daily targets. Evaluation of budgetary performance is done to investigate and explain negative and positive variances. If a variance is omitted, then it is the responsibility of the nursing staff to come up with an effective variance. Involving community initiatives is a significant strategy in the nursing sector (Roe & Webb, 2005). By involving the community, nurses reap professional rewards through health outcomes. Staff members are usually incorporated in community events in a bid to promote interactions between the two parties through community contributions. Evaluation and outcomes The nursing image is evaluated through achieving nursing excellence. The overall progress and evaluation process is achieved through external and internal validation methods (Roe & Webb, 2005). Excellence in internal validation is conducted through surveys in different disciplines or surveying nurses to establish the insight of excellence in nursing. If possible, different performances are measured against nursing divisions. In the absence of comparative data, the comparison of performance is conducted within an organization. Improved outcomes are based on increase in nurse’s enrollment (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). The outcomes for nursing are based on strategic plans and intents supported by process dimensions and structures of frameworks tied to pillars of excellence (Roe & Webb, 2005). Evaluation of quality healthcare requires structured and precisely prepared criteria that are based on the outcomes of patients in terms of mortality rate, readmissions or long lengths in hospitals (Roe & Webb, 2005). This helps in the identification of unfavorable events relating to the staffing and retention of nurses considering data that is routinely collected. The criterion process is used for consequent record reviewing so as to establish whether a predicament exists. Data bases have it that the possibility in developing epidemiology in quality care and understanding the given problems is disseminated in all hospitals is practicable (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). Data that entails population is essential for complete follow-up and effectiveness in studying medical practices. Even though follow-up of data involving the employee turnover in hospitals cannot be inclusive, it was realized that the relative percentage in terms of short term readmissions of nurses in hospitals was astonishing (Rosdahl, & Kowalski 2008). The data in hospitals can also be used for monitoring purposes. To examine the correlations of the outcome indicators in five surgical procedures, the ranking of hospitals according to the mortality rate is correlated to the ranking according to the post surgical mortality. Inventions and research hugely contribute towards improvement in quality outcomes. New technologies that arise assist in improving health standards. This creates room for new ideas to be put in place. Leadership evaluation must be encouraged so as to compare the annual goals against the leadership performance. This ensures that weaknesses and strengths of nurses are realized hence solutions found to counter the problems bedeviling the nursing fraternity. In this case, staff education through simulation, instructional classes and case studies ensures adequate sensitization to respective workers. Conclusions Major reforms have taken place in the field of nursing as far as specialization in patient populations is concerned. Nursing practices have been monitored to ensure improvement in the health sector so that both the patients and the nurses achieve the goals. Staff involvement in quality assurance plays an integral role and cannot be underestimated (Roe, & Webb, 2005). As much as the framework for practice in nursing may sound simple for organizations, achieving existing culture is difficult. Creation of an adequate framework needs willingness, time and dedications for effective implementation process. It also takes time for customized framework to undergo cultural alignment. The framework describes the guiding principles and foundational structures that influence the conduct of nurses at work and the fruits expected from work. Summary/closing Nursing as a profession continues to make several adjustments to ensure that patients get the best services in terms of health care. The idea of implementing elaborate measures to ensure there is a steady enrollment of nurses into the health institutions will assist inn the efficient dispensing of health tasks. Improvement of the working environment is not a bureaucratic measure but a gauging principle. Through incorporation of the amended policies, nursing roles evolve through professional practice and shared governance. The quality of healthcare in organizations has been measured through monitoring and evaluation for the sake of better healthcare. The main intention of nurse’s retention is not to salvage the reputation of health authorities but for the establishment of systematic and planned working guidelines and evaluating the appropriateness and quality patient care for the purpose of resolving problems. Enhancement of staffing and maintenance of nurses requires maximum co-operation amongst all the team players for the purposes of achieving the set goals and objectives. MODEL VARIABLE DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS MINIMUM MAXIMUM MEAN PERCEIVED NURSING CARE QUALITY 5.3 7.0 6.15 CORDINATION OF CARE 4.5 7.0 5.75 LENGTH OF STAY(DAY) 1 9 5 OVERRAL SATISFACTION 6.6 6.4 6.5 1-3-LOWEST 4-6-MODERATE 8.5-GOOD 8.5-10-EXCELLENT References Castle, N., & Longest, B. (2006). Administrative deficiency citations and quality of care in nursing homes. Health Services Management Research, 19(3), 144-52. http://search.proquest.com/docview/236443071?accountid=45049 Rosdahl, C., & Kowalski, M. (2008). Textbook of basic nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Roe, B. H., & Webb, C. (2005). Research and Development in Clinical Nursing Practice. Chichester: Jo Thompson, J. M. (2006). Nurse managers participation in management training and nursing staffs job satisfaction and retention. Walden University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 163 p. http://search.proquest.com/docview/304937671?accountid=45049 Read More