Introduction
As the healthcare industry expands, the need for nurses is becoming more prevalent. However, there is a growing concern about nurse retention, a complex problem requiring a multifaceted solution. Nurses are often overworked and underappreciated, leading to high stress levels and exhaustion.
Another contributing factor is the organization’s lack of opportunities for professional growth and development. Nurses who feel stagnant in their careers are more likely to seek employment elsewhere. The purpose of this report is to propose a solution to the nurse retention issue for healthcare organizations.
Target Audience
The intended professional audience for this report is healthcare administrators and human resource managers. These individuals are responsible for ensuring that their organization has adequate nurses to provide quality care for their patients. Thus, in the case of nurse retention, it is vital to focus not only on the well-being of the employees but also on the extent to which their potential can be fulfilled and their professional needs met, which might ensure motivation and satisfaction.
Proposed Interventions
Wellness Programs
To address the issue of nurse retention, healthcare institutions must begin by placing the well-being of their nurses at the forefront of their priorities.. Burnout among healthcare workers is characterized by a lack of motivation, poor self-esteem, and a belief that they are not doing their job to the best of their ability (Kelly et al., 2021). Nurses who deal with patients throughout death, in particular, may experience emotional stress that affects their own emotions (Kelly et al., 2021). As a result, in reaction to workplace pressures, nurses can experience a diminished feeling of self-worth and a lack of fulfillment, which may lead them to leave their profession.
As emphasized by Chung and colleagues (2020), employee effectiveness and motivation will be improved only by ensuring a satisfactory equilibrium between employees’ individual needs and specific work requirements. Therefore, one promising solution is to implement a comprehensive wellness program that focuses on physical health and includes mental health support and stress management resources. This will help nurses cope with the demands of their jobs, reduce burnout, and ultimately improve retention rates.
Professional Development
In addition to wellness programs, organizations should also provide opportunities for nurses to advance in their careers. Nursing lifelong learning is centered on ongoing professional growth, essential for keeping nurses’ abilities and expertise relevant (Mlambo et al., 2021). In other words, their career identities influence nurses’ views on their jobs. Its impact starts when a student enrolls in nursing school and lasts the duration of their professional career (Hu et al., 2022).
Since nurses who did not properly build their job identities throughout their vocational school might still do so, it is possible to reinforce them via educational programs (Hu et al., 2022). Continuing education programs can help nurses develop new skills and stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in healthcare. Leadership training can prepare nurses for management positions, while mentorship programs can provide guidance and support for nurses at all stages of their careers.
Conclusion
Hence, it is crucial to consider not only the employees’ welfare but also how much their potential can be realized and how their professional demands can be satisfied to maintain motivation and satisfaction in the case of nurse retention. Healthcare organizations must first prioritize their nurses’ well-being if they wish to solve the issue of nurse retention. By doing so, nurses will be better able to handle the demands of their work, prevent burnout, and ultimately increase retention rates. Organizations should provide nurses opportunities to progress in their professions in addition to wellness initiatives. Programs for continuing education can assist nurses in acquiring unique skills and learning about relevant medical advancements.
References
Chung, H. C., Chen, Y. C., Chang, S. C., Hsu, W. L., & Hsieh, T. C. (2020). Nurses’ well-being, health-promoting lifestyle and work environment satisfaction correlation: A psychometric study for development of nursing health and job satisfaction model and scale. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3582. Web.
Hu, H., Wang, C., Lan, Y., & Wu, X. (2022). Nurses’ turnover intention, hope and career identity: The mediating role of job satisfaction. BMC Nursing, 21(1), 1-11. Web.
Kelly, L. A., Gee, P. M., & Butler, R. J. (2021). Impact of nurse burnout on organizational and position turnover. Nursing Outlook, 69(1), 96–102. Web.
Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20, 1-13. Web.