The Costs to Consider in Workload Balancing
The nursing shortage has been growing in the United States for many years, but the problem is expected to reach new heights as our population ages and a large portion of nurses approach retirement. This shortage was compounded with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic when staffing needs surged to unprecedented levels, particularly in specialty […]
Workforce Strategies for Today’s Scheduling Challenges
While the nursing shortage has been a worrisome trend for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this intensifying problem. Already short-staffed hospitals are having to manage capacity surge and quickly determine how to best utilize and stretch their available resources. Addressing the unique scheduling challenges hospitals face today requires effective workforce strategies. Here are some […]
Eliminate Holiday Nurse Staffing Hassles Once and For All
Any nurse scheduler can tell you holiday scheduling has the potential to cause angst and outrage among the staff. For the scheduler it can feel like reinventing the wheel every winter holiday season, with questions like, “How can we staff this place adequately but still be fair to our nurses?” while nurses cry, “I worked […]
Improve Your Recruitment Efforts by Nurturing Staff Morale
Sometimes it might seem easier to hire new nurses rather than address issues with poor morale among your current staff. Improving your company’s external package might help to recruit nurses, but it might not retain them. Negative staff morale can infect your new and future hires and drain them of their desire to stay. Investing […]
Address the Nursing Shortage by Being Proactive
If you’re the chief nursing officer (CNO), most likely the nursing shortage is foremost on your mind. If your organization has yet to endure the struggle of recruiting and retaining quality nurses, there’s a good possibility that it will soon. The combination of various factors could result in this age-old staffing problem and continue for […]
Nurse Shortage Taking a Toll on Staff Morale
No one doubts the nurse shortage exists – and it’s getting worse. A recent survey of 200 nurse executives found that 70% of Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) said their organization was experiencing a moderate, significant or severe shortage. And those CNOs expect the shortage to worsen over at least the next five years. The survey also […]
4 Vacation Scheduling Tips for Nurse Managers
Memorial Day is in the rearview mirror. Schools let out weeks ago. Soon the summer vacation requests will begin hitting your desk – if they haven’t already. Vacation time gives nurses the chance to refresh and recharge. Taking an extended block of time off work can help them avoid compassion fatigue and nurse burnout. You […]
2018 CNO Concerns: Nurse Recruitment & Retention
During a Chief Nursing Officer roundtable discussion convened in January by Avant Healthcare Professionals, participants cited nurse recruitment and retention as a key issue faced by nearly every facility and system. The complex problem of the nursing shortage is expected to worsen over the next decade, which means CNOs must continue to focus on retention […]
Can Technology Solve the Nursing Shortage?
If anyone had doubts about how acute the nursing shortage is, a recent Reuters article put an exclamation point at the end of the sentence. Take this example: “Hospitals nationwide face tough choices when it comes to filling nursing jobs. They are paying billions of dollars collectively to recruit and retain nurses rather than risk […]
5 Creative Solutions for the Nursing Shortage
The need for healthcare within the United States is growing as the Baby Boomers grow older. Compounding this problem is the fact that nurses in the Baby Boomers generation are starting to retire. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of available nursing jobs is expected to grow by about 16% by 2024. […]