| Nursing shortage has been an issue for sometime now | | | | Room). |
| in the country. The causes are varied and have been | | | | . |
| discussed in many articles in the recent past. | | | | Dental Insurance. |
| The purpose of this article is to explore the strategies | | | | Vision care. |
| US Hospitals are employing to overcome the nurse | | | | Life/AD&D/Dependent Life. |
| shortage. | | | | Short and Long Term Disability. |
| The remedy of a problem is dependent on its cause. | | | | Flexible Spending Accounts. |
| This is no different here. Since the causes of shortage | | | | Wellness Program |
| of nurses are varied the possible solutions proposed | | | | Employee Health Services |
| are many too. Nurse shortage stems from lesser | | | | On-Site Fitness Centers |
| number of students choosing nursing as profession , | | | | Lectures, Training & Workshops |
| Uncertainty created by a wrong research report in | | | | Massage Therapy |
| 1988 by a reputable organization predicting impending | | | | Vacation, Leave & Time Off |
| nurse oversupply (resulting in students deciding not to | | | | Paid Time Off (personal, sick, holidays) with annual |
| chose nursing), more nurses choosing to work in out | | | | cash-out option |
| patient setting creating a mal distribution of nurses in | | | | Extended Illness Bank |
| some areas of the country , dissatisfaction among | | | | Family & Medical Leaves |
| nurses because of shift work, mandatory overtime, | | | | Personal Leaves |
| insufficient pay, lack of a career ladder are some of | | | | Bereavement Leave |
| the common causes. | | | | Paid Military Leave |
| Many nurses are choosing Temp. work as it pays | | | | Sunshine Fund (no interest loan & donations to |
| more money and allows some control over work | | | | employees in need) |
| hours and benefits. | | | | Pension Plan with Employer Matching Contributions |
| In the private sector the turnover is higher then in the | | | | Adoption Benefit (up to $4,000) |
| govt. sector. | | | | Credit Union (free checking, low cost loans) |
| Hospitals are doing all sorts of things to recruit and | | | | Traditional benefit packages are not always sufficiently |
| retain the nurses. | | | | alluring to nurses. It is possible that employee benefits |
| Financial incentives to recruit nurses are temporary fix | | | | could be used more effectively to retain nurses and |
| in general. These do not guarantee retention of the | | | | reduce costly staff turnovers |
| nurse in the same facility. | | | | One example is payroll reduction program commonly |
| Long term planning for this national problem is | | | | known as 125 Reimbursement Plan. Using this plan the |
| addressed by federal as well as state level. These will | | | | employee can allocate a pre tax dollar amount per |
| have effect though not in very near future. | | | | year which is anticipated as potential expense to |
| A serious effort by the hospitals, nurses themselves | | | | cover health and welfare expense. |
| as well as the government and the nursing | | | | The employer avoids having to match FICA tax and |
| organizations will be needed. Image building , making the | | | | workman compensation expense by reducing the |
| profession attractive are the sort of things which will | | | | amount of income upon which these figures are |
| take time but will have lasting effects. | | | | calculated. |
| For the short term it is the hospitals which have to deal | | | | Not only does the employee net take home pay |
| with the nursing shortage. | | | | increases but the employers matching FICA taxes and |
| The latest news is that some nurses who are in army | | | | related pay roll expenses are reduced (consult your |
| reserves are now being called in for active duty and | | | | tax advisor for more details on this program). |
| sent to Germany (3 from our institution). | | | | Employee’s Voice |
| There are not many innovative strategies available to | | | | Annual Employee Survey |
| hospitals to deal with the shortage of nursing staff. | | | | Roundtables with CEO, VPs |
| Here are some ways different health care | | | | System and Divisional Townhall Meetings |
| organizations and hospitals are dealing with this nursing | | | | Staff Meetings & Committees |
| emergency: | | | | Reward & Recognition Task Force |
| (These strategies are for recruitment of new nurses, | | | | Roving Cart (suggestion box) |
| new graduates as well for retention of existing | | | | Nurse Week Activities |
| workforce. Some strategies are short term and some | | | | VP Rounds on Nursing Units (all shifts) during |
| are long term. Your institution or hospital may already | | | | Weeks On-Call and for Special |
| be employing many of these methods.) | | | | Employee of the Month and Year Awards |
| Commonly employed strategies to attract and retain | | | | Employee Service Awards |
| nurses in the organization include: | | | | 5&10 year plaques |
| Signing referral bonuses | | | | 15 year dinner |
| Salary incentives | | | | 20+ year banquet |
| Flexible hours. | | | | Special Performance Awards - Recognition at |
| Lower eligibility threshold for benefits. | | | | Annual Employee Service Awards |
| Improvement in working conditions. | | | | Dinner |
| Increase recruitment in training programs. | | | | Celebrate, Motivate and Decorate Task Force |
| Recruitment outside of prime age. | | | | Collaborative efforts between health care |
| Identify cost effective and quality based practice | | | | organizations, societies, hospitals , private sector. |
| models that promote quality patient outcomes and job | | | | Some examples: |
| satisfaction. | | | | In San Diego, six hospital systems have committed |
| Accommodate aging nurse force. | | | | $1.3 million to support a program called, "Nurses Now", |
| Image building of nursing staff. | | | | which will add faculty and additional student slots to |
| Assign responsibilities and challenges for motivated | | | | San Diego University. |
| members of nursing staff . | | | | The American Hospital Association News reports |
| Create role models for junior nursing staff | | | | that in Laredo, Texas, a hospital CEO worked with |
| members. | | | | Texas A&M University to develop a four-year |
| Promote leadership development programs. | | | | bachelor's program and is providing $425,000 in |
| Baptist Hospital of Miami, Florida is employing following | | | | scholarships to local students over the next five years. |
| strategies for some time with good success. | | | | In Morris County, New Jersey, the Board of |
| Sign-on Bonuses offered to all RNs and | | | | Freeholders offered scholarships to students who |
| Out-of-Area Applicants ($5,000 and | | | | agreed to work in a long term care facility. |
| $2,500) | | | | The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council raised |
| On-Campus Recruitment Twice a Year at each of | | | | $600,000 to expand student enrollment at local |
| Four Local Nursing Schools | | | | schools. |
| System-Wide Posting of all Job Openings | | | | Magnet Hospitals: This elite class of hospitals generally |
| On-site Child Care Center. | | | | do not have problem with high nurse turn over and |
| Post Office. | | | | recruitment. These classes of hospital (only 1-2 % of all |
| Choice of multiple health plans | | | | US Hospitals) attain and keep this designation only if |
| Group Legal Insurance. | | | | they meet stringent standards and ongoing 4 yearly |
| Leave Sharing (PTO donations to employees in | | | | evaluations. |
| need) | | | | "The label 'Magnet hospitals' originally was given to a |
| Larger and more frequent advertising in Local | | | | group of U.S. hospitals that were able to successfully |
| Newspaper and Nursing Journals | | | | recruit and retain professional nurses during a national |
| Special Annual Ads (i.e. Florida Hospital Association | | | | nursing shortage in the early 1980s. Studies of Magnet |
| Guide, RN Magazine, AJN). | | | | hospitals highlight the leadership characteristics and |
| Commercial Internet Postings. | | | | professional practice attributes of nurses within these |
| Special Nursing Limited-Time Offer ($5,000 and | | | | organizations... Hospitals selected met the following |
| $2,500) | | | | criteria: 1) nurses within the hospitals considered them |
| Nursing Recruitment & Retention Committee | | | | good places to practice nursing, 2) the hospitals had |
| Birthday Cards from Human Resources with 2 | | | | low turnover and vacancy rates, and 3) the hospitals |
| Movie Tickets | | | | were located in areas where there was significant |
| Employee Activity Committee Events | | | | regional competition for nursing services." (JONA, |
| Regular Bonuses of $1,000 and $500 | | | | January 1999). Magnet designated health care |
| Year-end Raffle for "Trip for Two" | | | | organizations consistently outperform their peers in |
| Stepped-Up Publicity of the vacancies (posters, | | | | recruiting and retaining nurses, resulting in increased |
| brochures, raffle boxes) | | | | stability in patient care systems across the |
| Employees Referrals program (RN Hires through | | | | organization. |
| employees referral program increased from 28% to | | | | Foreign nurses/Importing nurses. |
| 31% after | | | | Philippines is the largest source of foreign nurses. |
| Introduction of Program). | | | | Nurses from many other countries including Europe |
| Relocation Assistance offered | | | | have come recently and in last many years to work in |
| Extra Pay Option (in lieu of benefits). | | | | the US. |
| Staffing Incentive Bonus Programs (including $25 | | | | is a US based agency that has the authority currently |
| gift certificates) | | | | to screen foreign nurses for eligibility for state licensing |
| Special Weekend Scheduling Option ($7/hr diff) | | | | boards and work visas. |
| Supplemental Weekend Plan ($3/hr diff) | | | | Acquiring the services of foreign nurses is not new in |
| Increased Base Rates and Per Diem Rates | | | | the US. Recently the number of non-US origin nurses |
| Guaranteed Overtime | | | | has increased significantly. |
| Preceptor Honorarium ($200) | | | | A number of hospitals are using programs to hire |
| Special Call Back Pay (%20 or time and a half) | | | | foreign nurses. This is not an easy task as the process |
| Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years Holiday Pay | | | | is tedious and takes months and may be years. |
| (time and a half) | | | | CGFNS (Commission on graduates of foreign nursing |
| Annual Spring Luncheon for Graduating Nurses (all | | | | schools) is one source of information for this process. |
| colleges) | | | | Hospitals generally use recruiters specializing in thisarea |
| Pay for NCLEX Review Course | | | | and immigration lawyers to hire foreign nurses. Foreign |
| Nursing Student Clinical Rotations and Practicums at | | | | nurses have to show that their training is adequate, |
| Hospital. | | | | they are proficient in English language and are eligible |
| Students Hired as Nurse Care Techs at Top of | | | | for visa otherwise |
| Pay Scale until Graduation | | | | To summarize it seems that the major influences on |
| Nurse Care Techs Recruited into New Graduate | | | | recruitment and retention are salary and raises, |
| Training Program | | | | benefits, shift rotations and scheduling flexibility , staff |
| Professional Advancement Process (Clinical | | | | communications , tuition reimbursements, type of |
| Ladder). | | | | nursing care delivery system, nursing leadership, |
| Leadership Development Program | | | | reputation of the hospital and responsive management. |
| Mentorship Program | | | | Copy right Medjobcity inc. |
| Tuition Assistance | | | | Author: Sam Khan, For more career -related info, |
| Toolbook for Performance (clinical, professional & | | | | articles and health care job info visit |
| personal developmentcourses). | | | | Webmasters: This article can be used for your |
| Employee Assistance Program. | | | | website if copied in its entirety with author’s |
| On-site Credit Union / ATMs. | | | | reference and website URL |
| On-site Dry Cleaning, Hair Salon, Shoe Repair, Car | | | | Please send us e mail stating that you are posting the |
| Wash, Pharmacy, Gift Shop, | | | | article on your web site. Thanks. |
| Meals-To-Go Program (from Employee Dining | | | | |