By James X. Stobinski, Ph.D., RN, CNOR, CNAMB(E), CSSM(E)
Keeping current in health care literature encompasses scholarly articles in peer-reviewed literature but also more easily accessible resources like blog posts and articles posted on the Internet on a diversity of websites. The continuing staffing shortfalls in American health care have been the subject of numerous recent posts in Becker’s Healthcare Review, a site I have mentioned previously. In that vein, I would like to speak about an article posted by Laura Dyrda on August 25.
Dyrda tells us that staffing shortfalls, although marginally better, remain a significant issue for most health care facilities. I have written on this topic previously (Stobinski, Maio and Homme, 2022). While I tend to focus on perioperative nurse staffing, Dyrda speaks more generally to the overall American health care workforce. One quote from this article really caught my attention. Kristin Wolkart, of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in Louisiana, in speaking on recruitment and retention said, “We can no longer simply increase wages.” That is a very telling statement which succinctly encapsulates the current literature.
Some nurses and other health care workers who stayed in the workforce during the pandemic had a rare opportunity to make markedly higher wages taking travel assignments. For a period of months there was a marked disparity in wages and opportunities. Some nurses in certain specialties who could travel earned much higher wages while others, specifically in surgery, were furloughed or lost employment. For many perioperative nurses this was the first time in their career when there was lessened demand for their skills. The upheaval of the pandemic saw many health care workers change employers; some by choice and others of necessity. It was a very disruptive time and American health care has not yet fully recovered.
To the point made by Wolkart the solution for many facilities was to offer higher pay and bonuses to meet critical staffing needs. While some workers greatly benefited from new employment models and markedly higher wages this was not a sustainable path over the long term. Increased supply and labor costs have cut operating margins, and some facilities are struggling financially. Numerous health care bankruptcies have been reported. The tide has now turned to developing new and innovative solutions to staffing shortfalls versus simply offering higher wages. Efforts to increase engagement of nursing staff, reconnecting to the mission of the facility and re-skilling workers to meet new demands now appear increasingly in the literature.
At NIFA, we have been part of the re-skilling and upskilling movement for nearly 28 years. We are familiar with the value of investing in the development of the nursing workforce. Providing RNFA training to perioperative nurses, which has long been the core of our business, allows more flexibility in scheduling, broadens the skill set of those nurses and increases the capacity of an operating room. In recent years NIFA has seen increasing demand for education courses for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in surgical care. Providing this education and training to APRNs allows these nurses to take on new roles and provides value to intradisciplinary care.
The recent health care literature speaks of developing our present workforce and using educational opportunities as a recruitment and retention strategy. Gooch and others have spoken of these efforts. (September 1, 2023). In tough financial times, travel and education opportunities are often the first to be cut. Now it seems facilities are willing to be innovative to some small degree to address staffing issues. This small shift in momentum, after the disruption of the pandemic, is a most welcome development.
– James X. Stobinski, Ph.D., RN, CNOR, CNAMB(E), CSSM(E), is director of education at the National Institute of First Assisting.
References
Dyrda, L. (August 25, 2023). “We can no longer simply increase wages”: What health systems are doing instead for retention. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/we-can-no-longer-simply-increase-wages-what-health-systems-are-doing-instead-for-retention.html
Gooch, K. (September 1, 2023). Nurse survey reveals key opportunities to boost job satisfaction. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/nurse-survey-reveals-key-opportunities-to-boost-job-satisfaction.html?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=4467F0926923B3Y
Stobinski, JX, Maio, S and Homme, C (2022). Select demographics of nationwide sample of OR nurses. OR Manager. Accessed: April 15th, 2022, at: https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/ORManager/or-manager-april-2022/index.php
