The Issue of Nurse Shortage and Nurse Turnover - Essay Example

Nursing Shortage and Nurse Turnover Nursing Shortage and Nurse Turnover Nursing shortage and turnover are the threatening the US healthcare system. The Association of American Nurses stipulates that the country will continue experiencing nurse shortages over the next decade due to several factors that inhibit training of new nurses and career progression in nursing. The ANA estimate that the country will face an acute shortage of nurses by 2020. Currently, over 100000 nursing positions are unfilled, thus reducing the health impacts of nursing (Enrado, 2009). The nurse shortage is caused by an assortment of facts. The main factors include nurse turnover and low admissions into nursing schools. Nurse turnover is a situation where registered nurses leave the service prematurely. The reasons for turnover are varied. However, most nurses level the service due to ineffective management and high workloads. In situations of high workloads, nurses tend to seek better opportunities in other professions, and private entities. Many attribute their turnover to poor management that ignore their plight or focus more on the institution rather than the person. Nurse shortage and turnover can be addressed by the manager and nurse leaders. Managers and leaders are best placed to understand the problems and possible solutions to the problems. Managers and leaders can work together to find the causes and lasting solutions to maintain the soundness of healthcare in the next decade. However, there are functional and objectives differences between how manager and leaders approach such issues. The differences and similarities on how nurse leader managers approach the issues are discussed below. Nurse leaders and managers are obligated to show competence in how they handle health-related problems. The role of nurse leaders and nurse managers is to ensure that healthcare runs smoothly by ensuring patients are attended to. In this regard, both are concerned about nurse shortages and turnover. As such, they may approach the issue by allocating resources to higher new nurses and offer a better working condition to retain the existing nurses. However, the groups have different modalities on fulfilling these functions. How Managers Approach the Issue of Nurse Shortage and Nurse Turnover Managers are more concerned with administrative functions of the health institutions. As such, they work with a budgeted finances and hence act within the confines of the resources that they have (Kelly, 2009). To address nurse shortage, managers are likely to allocate more finances to hiring by cutting down spending on non-essential functions. However, the move is temporary and can be affected by other dynamics such as disease breakouts and neglecting other vital functions. Managers may also consider raising the pay for nurses to motivate the employees. According to Maslow Motivation theory, remuneration is one of the factors that can motivate employees to stay on a job. Thus, it can help in reducing nurse turnover. However, this move is a short-term solution to the problems. Nurse turnover is likely to increase if the welfare of nurses is not considered. As noted, the high nurse turnover problem in the United States is poor management and workloads. Nurses experience a burnout when exposed to high workloads even with adequate financial benefits. Managers tend to devise short-term solutions to healthcare problems. They insist on doing things right as opposed to doing the right thing. They are rigid on how emerging issues should be addressed. As a result, their solutions to nurse shortage is only temporary. For example, managers may find it inconveniencing to hire more nurses if doing so compromises other management functions. Moreover, they may prefer to stay rigid on the institution policy on the human resources; a fact that may derail actual employment of more nurses and benefits to incumbents. Managers maintain the systems and the structure of the organization. They also imitate things that peers and predecessors have done. As a result, there is a general lack of innovation. Thus, managers are likely to approach the issue of shortages in a narrower perspective and consider it a consequence of actions of outside forces. Hence, action would include a short-term plan. A short-term plan would include reducing hospital admissions so as to reduce the workload of nurses. The managers can also decide to maintain a lean workforce and enhance efficiency. However, this would be a disservice to the patients who need admission for a more efficient care. Nurse Leaders Approach to Nurse Shortages and Turnover Nurse leaders embrace a more holistic approach in dealing with nurse shortages and turnover. I would expect nurse leaders to consider long-term solutions to the problems. On the issue of nurse shortage, nurse leaders can sort the issues at the source. The main source of the shortage is low admission at the health training institutions. According to ACCN, the number of admissions has been low due lack of enough equipment of faculty in education institutions. As such, nurse leaders can seek ways on how nurse training institutions can take up more students to address the current and the future demand for nurses. However, this approach would involve a lot of dedication and cooperation with other stakeholders including legislators. Cooperation with major stakeholders is a good start in addressing nurse shortage. The shortage is partly caused by lack of enough funding. Nurse leaders are expected to forge agreements and cooperate with federal and state agencies, civil societies and institutions of higher learning to address how the lack of faculty and vital training resources can be addressed. Nurse leaders are also better placed to address nurse turnover. Unlike managers who seek a short term solution to turnover, nurse leaders should seek to understand the reasons behind exodus from the profession. Determining the cause of the problems is the starting point in solving it. After determining the cause of turnover, the leaders can then of workable solutions. A probable cause of turnover is high workload and inefficient management. Thus, I expect that nurse leaders establish a conducive environment where nurses can express their grievances freely and hence finding solutions can be easy. Establishing channels for consultation and dialog gives room for discussion and change; thus reducing nurse turnover. Leaders should have good interpersonal skills and put the focus on people as a means to achieve objectives. When people are considered important in attaining institutional objectives, there is a high chance that more students will be attracted to the nursing profession and all the current nurses will be retained. Thus, efforts geared at retaining current nurses and attracting new students to the professions can serve the purpose. This is a long-term approach that can only be undertaken by managers who have leadership skills. Personal Approach I believe that nurse shortage and turnover is a threat to the US healthcare system. The threat is multifaceted and hence requires a holistic approach. Nurse shortages are caused by high turnover and low admissions in nursing schools. A 2007 research by Dr. Christine Kovner showed that 13% of newly registered nurses moved from their profession after a year, while 37% indicated that they were willing to move away from nursing (Kovner et al., 2007). The statistics are worrying. Nurse leaders should thus adopt a strategy that addresses the training of more nurses, remuneration of nurses, improve communication between the management and the nurses and also accordance of a conducive work environment. In conclusion, the issue of nurse shortage and nurse turnover are critical in the US healthcare system. The threats of shortage are still looming despite the marginal increase in admission in nursing training. The United States population is aging and the need for more nurses. Hence, the situation requires sound leadership to maneuver. References ANA. (n.d.). American Association of Colleges of Nursing | Nursing Shortage. Retrieved June 20, 2015, from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage Enrado, P. (2009, November 24). To blunt nurse shortage, hospitals must address nurse turnover | Healthcare Finance News. Retrieved from http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/blunt-nurse-shortage-hospitals-must-address-nurse-turnover Kelly, P. (2009). Essentials of nursing leadership & management. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning. Kovner, C., Brewer, C., Fairchild, S., Poornima, S., Kim, H., & Djukic, M. (2007). Newly Licensed RNs’. Characteristics,Work Attitudes, and Intentions to Work. A better understanding of newly licensed RNs and their employment patterns is crucial to reducing turnover rates. American Journal of Nursing, 107(9), 58-68. Retrieved from https://massnurses.org/files/file/Legislation-and-Politics/AJN_Study_on_Newly_Licensed_RNs.pdf Read More