Retention and Recruitment (ANSWERED)

QUESTION

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (as cited in American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2019), over 200,000 new RNs will be needed each year through 2026 to replace nurses who retire and to fill new positions. National Council of State Boards of Nursing and The Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers (as cited in American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2019) reported that about 51% of today’s RNs are 50 years old or older. These are dramatic numbers and represent a challenge for future nurse leaders and managers.

If you were a nurse leader or manager, how would you retain the nurses you have? How would you recruit additional nurses? In your opinion, what do you think the future of the nursing workforce will look like in 50 years?

Your discussion post should look like:

Paragraph one: How would you retain the nurses you have?
Paragraph two: How would you recruit additional nurses?
Paragraph three: What do you think the future of the nursing workforce will look like in 50 years?
Resources: Where did you find your data?

Reference

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2019). Fact sheet: Nursing shortage. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Factsheets/Nursing-Shortage-Factsheet.pdf

ANSWER

Retention and Recruitment

I can retain nurses by offering competitive benefits, job security, flexible work schedules, competitive salary, employee autonomy, and career advancement opportunities. All these strategies can help retain nurses but their effectiveness differs. For example, Yeager and Wisniewski (2017) found that nurses value flexibility and autonomy more than remunerations. According to the authors, nurses often leave high-paying private jobs for less physically demanding positions. Therefore, providing a flexible schedule may be effective in retaining staff than compensation packages.

Other studies have recommended enhancing job satisfaction and creating a healthy working environment as effective nurse retention strategies (Lockhart, 2020). I can improve employees’ job satisfaction through empowerment, training, career advancement opportunities, and autonomy (Lockhart, 2020). I will also reduce incremental or mandatory overtime and offer a healthy work-life balance to my employees to enhance job satisfaction.

Recruiting highly-qualified nurses may be a challenge, considering many organizations compete for such staff based on compensation packages. Organizations that cannot compete on compensation packages can attract employees by emphasizing job characteristics in postings (Yeager & Wisniewski, 2017). For example, I would highlight the non-financial perks of the job, including flexible schedules, in my job posting. This strategy may attract highly-qualified staff looking for better working environments. I can also recruit new nurses by partnering with various nursing education programs. I can offer nursing students opportunities for educational rotation at the organization to inspire them to join us after completing their studies.

The demographics of the nursing workforce in 50 years will be completely different from the current ones. Millennials and Gen Z will replace baby boomers in the workforce (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2021). Currently, the healthcare system is promoting degrees instead of diploma programs, meaning many registered nurses will be skilled for more advanced roles (NASEM, 2021). Given the current and projected physician shortages, advanced practice nurses will occupy most primary and specialty care positions.

References

Lockhart, L. (2020). Strategies to reduce nursing turnover. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy!, 18(2), 56. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nme.0000653196.16629.2e

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). The Nursing Workforce. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573922/

Yeager, V. A., & Wisniewski, J. M. (2017). Factors That Influence the Recruitment and Retention of Nurses in Public Health Agencies. Public Health Reports, 132(5), 556–562. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5593234/