Nursing shortage: Here is what some
Hospitals are doing - part 2
The
latest news is that some nurses who are in army reserves are now
being called in for active duty and sent to Germany (3 from our
institution). There are not many innovative strategies
available to hospitals to deal with the shortage of nursing staff.Here are some ways different health
care organizations and hospitals are dealing with this nursing
emergency: (These strategies are for recruitment of new nurses,
new graduates as well for retention of existing workforce. Some
strategies are short term and some are long term. Your institution
or hospital may already be employing many of these methods.)
Commonly employed strategies to attract and retain nurses in the
organization include:
•Signing referral bonuses
•Salary incentives
•Flexible hours.
•Lower eligibility threshold for benefits.
•Improvement in working conditions.
•Increase recruitment in training programs.
•Recruitment outside of prime age.
•Identify cost effective and quality based practice models that
promote quality patient outcomes and job satisfaction.
•Accommodate aging nurse force.
•Image building of nursing staff.
•Assign responsibilities and challenges for motivated members of
nursing staff . •Create role models for junior nursing staff
members.
•Promote leadership development
programs. Baptist Hospital of Miami, Florida is employing
following strategies for some time with good success.
•Sign-on Bonuses offered to all RNs
and Out-of-Area Applicants ($5,000 and $2,500)
•On-Campus Recruitment Twice a Year at each of Four Local Nursing
Schools •System-Wide Posting of all Job Openings
•On-site Child Care Center.
•Post Office.
•Choice of multiple health plans
•Group Legal Insurance.
•Leave Sharing (PTO donations to employees in need)
•Larger and more frequent advertising
in Local Newspaper and Nursing Journals •Special Annual Ads (i.e.
Florida Hospital Association Guide, RN Magazine, AJN). •Commercial
Internet Postings.
•Special Nursing Limited-Time Offer ($5,000 and $2,500)
•Nursing Recruitment & Retention
Committee
•Birthday Cards from Human Resources
with 2 Movie Tickets
•Employee Activity Committee Events
•Regular Bonuses of $1,000 and $500
•Year-end Raffle for "Trip for Two"
•Stepped-Up Publicity of the vacancies (posters, brochures, raffle
boxes)
• Employees Referrals program (RN
Hires through employees referral program increased from 28% to 31%
after Introduction of Program).
•Relocation Assistance offered
•Extra Pay Option (in lieu of benefits).
•Staffing Incentive Bonus Programs
(including $25 gift certificates)
•Special Weekend Scheduling Option
($7/hr diff)
•Supplemental Weekend Plan ($3/hr
diff)
•Increased Base Rates and Per Diem
Rates
•Guaranteed Overtime
•Preceptor Honorarium ($200)
•Special Call Back Pay (%20 or time and a half)
•Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years
Holiday Pay (time and a half)
•Annual Spring Luncheon for Graduating
Nurses (all colleges)
•Pay for NCLEX Review Course
•Nursing Student Clinical Rotations and Practicums at Hospital.
•Students Hired as Nurse Care Techs at
Top of Pay Scale until Graduation
•Nurse Care Techs Recruited into New
Graduate Training Program
•Professional Advancement Process
(Clinical Ladder).
•Leadership Development Program
•Mentorship Program
•Tuition Assistance
•Toolbook for Performance (clinical, professional & personal
development courses)
•Employee Assistance Program.
•On-site Credit Union / ATMs.
•On-site Dry Cleaning, Hair Salon, Shoe Repair, Car Wash,
Pharmacy, Gift Shop, •Meals-To-Go Program (from Employee Dining
Room). .
•Dental Insurance.
•Vision care.
•Life/AD&D/Dependent Life.
•Short and Long Term Disability.
•Flexible Spending Accounts.
Wellness Program
•Employee Health Services
•On-Site Fitness Centers
•Lectures, Training & Workshops
•Massage Therapy
Vacation, Leave & Time Off
•Paid Time Off (personal, sick, holidays) with annual cash-out
option •Extended Illness Bank
•Family & Medical Leaves
•Personal Leaves
•Bereavement Leave
•Paid Military Leave
•Sunshine Fund (no interest loan & donations to employees in need)
•Pension Plan with Employer Matching
Contributions
•Adoption Benefit (up to $4,000)
•Credit Union (free checking, low cost loans)
Traditional benefit packages...
continued in part 3 nursing
retention
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