By James X. Stobinski
I am very pleased to present my first column in this new series for OR Today. In February, I wrote my last column in another series for this publication, but I am now opening a new chapter. When writing from the perspective of my previous employer, the Competency and Credentialing Institute, my writing had focused on certification and credentialing issues. Going forward, I will concentrate on workforce and education issues which impact surgical services. In presenting this information I hope to give you pertinent, useful information that will be helpful in your practice.
All of us have seen recent news articles about workforce shortages in the United States and more specifically about shortfalls amongst health care workers. News about nurses going on strike and union organizing efforts with nurses are becoming increasingly common. Staffing deficits in the operating room (OR) are front and center for perioperative leaders. The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently published a white paper titled “The 2023 Health Care Workforce Scan.”
One sentence from the AHA Report (2023, p. 2) resonated with me, “A strong and resilient workforce is the backbone of our hospitals and health systems.” That phrase is not a revelation for any health care leader but as this paper points out we are faced with some unprecedented challenges. The ageing U.S. population presents two issue: a greater demand for health care services including surgery and more workers retiring from the workforce (p. 3). Subsequent to the pandemic the Labor Force Participation Rate, a measure of those actively working or seeking work, has declined. In short, less people are working even in tight labor markets where they might have leverage for higher wages.
The AHA authors go on to state that, “Our education pathways are not where they need to be to replace people retiring or leaving the field.” I agree with that statement. As OR leaders we have seen many experienced staff leave the OR and some perioperative nurses experienced job loss and furlough for the first time in their career during the pandemic. The stressful, demanding nature of the OR workplace is well-documented (Cramer et al, 2022). This reality hampers our recruiting efforts.
At NIFA, we believe these challenges also present opportunities as we are compelled to seek out new approaches in our education and training efforts. In a broad sense we are faced with workforce development challenges as the familiar paths to the OR, such as Diploma of Nursing programs, no longer exist. This presents the prospect of developing new paths such as pre-licensure perioperative courses for nursing students and using new methods for the education and training of perioperative nurses. We also see the opportunity for new partnerships between stakeholders such as employers, advocacy groups and schools.
I have pored over the articles listed in the references. Consider reading these sources to get some perspective on our collective challenges. To address these issues, we must be open to innovative solutions and new partnerships for the overall good of our health care systems. In the coming months, I will share more thoughts on possible solutions specific to the OR setting.
– James X. Stobinski, Ph.D., RN, CNOR, CNAMB(E), CSSM(E), is the director of education at the National Institute of First Assisting.
References
- American Hospital Association (2023). 2023 Health Care Workforce Scan. https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2022/11/2023_AHA_Health_Care_Workforce_Scan.pdf
- Cramer, E, Stucky, C, Stobinski, JX, Wymer, J. & Boyle, D. (2022). Differences in Perioperative Nurse Job Satisfaction by Specialty Certification Status. Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing (JOPAN). DOI: 10.1016/j.jopan.2022.04.018
- Saver, C. (2022, August 19). Survey: Surgical volume returns for many ORs, but staff shortages remain. OR Manager. https://www.ormanager.com/survey-surgical-volume-returns-for-many-ors-but-staff-shortages-remain/
- Saver, C. (2022, September 27). Survey: Some improvement in satisfaction, but stagnant compensation. OR Manager. https://www.ormanager.com/survey-some-improvement-in-satisfaction-but-stagnant-compensation/
