Effective Hiring and Adaptation of Nurses

In most cases, work in medical institutions involves a high level of responsibility and stress. Nurses who start working in these organizations should have strong personal qualities to be able to cope with the workload. However, often, during the first months of work, it turns out that the nurse is not ready for this, which leads to a high level of staff turnover. Thus, it is essential to understand how to hire nurses and support them in the early stages of work to avoid such situations. The purpose of this paper is to study and compare studies related to this topic. The main question that needs attention in this area is how do nurses gain from new methods of hiring and mentoring at the first stages of their work?

The authors of two studies mentioned in this paper studied various medical facilities and interviewed nurses who had been working there for a few months. According to Schmitt and Schiffman (2019), “hospitals should consider implementing a transition to practice programs that support newly hired nurses” (p. 1). Indeed, as in any other organization, people need support and guidance in the first months of work. However, it is worth correctly selecting candidates for the position of nurse before they even start working. This will help to avoid the problem of staff turnover, which is quite acute in many hospitals. Researchers argue that “determining and quantifying factors responsible for increased turnover can help hospitals to create a positive work environment and impact hospital and nurse staffing” (Kurnat-Thoma et al., 2017, p. 2). Thus, only an integrated approach to the work of nurses can bring noticeable positive results.

The authors of the studies use different methods in their work. The main goal of Schmitt and Schiffman’s study was to obtain information from nurses, so they limited themselves to interviewing them. Kurnat-Thoma et al. (2017) conducted a more comprehensive analysis by examining “compilation and analysis of 2009-2012 facility staffing and turnover statistics, analysis of

standardized exit survey data, literature review, and review of industry practice exemplars in health -care and private sectors” (p. 3). This allowed them to get a complete picture and draw relevant large-scale conclusions. Undoubtedly, the use of surveys in any study seems to be one of the most useful methods, allowing obtaining a variety of data. However, survey results can often be subjective, which imposes certain limitations on research.

A literature review is also a traditional method, allowing researchers to get a complete picture of an issue. The study of practices already applied in other medical institutions makes it possible to choose the appropriate ones for a specific situation. However, not all of them may actually be necessary for a particular medical institution. Thus, each method has both advantages and disadvantages, and their complex use made the results of these researches valuable.

The results of both studies can be considered positive and productive. According to Kurnat-Thoma et al. (2017), for instance, “total turnover dropped from 18.2% in 2012 to 11.9% in 2013 (−6.3%)” (p. 4). During the study, the nurses were trained, they could always ask for help, they understood what kind of work awaited them, and generally felt welcome. Thus, these results indicate the need for a training and orientation system in each hospital. Due to it, new employees are much more successful in integrating into the workflow and are ready to work longer, which can significantly reduce staff turnover.

Research findings also showed what challenges nurses face in their early years. Schmitt and Schiffman (2019) state that there are two crucial topics for nurses, and namely “Institutional Support (subthemes: Human Connection, Process Approach and Resources) and Sense of Self (subtheme: Self-Awareness and Fear)” (p. 4). In other words, it is crucial for nurses to understand all work processes accurately and to feel part of the team. These facts can be used in nursing practice by both the heads of medical institutions and other nurses. When new employees appear, it is necessary to provide all possible assistance to them and help them to feel their importance. Thanks to this, the atmosphere in any team will become friendlier, and people will work more efficiently.

The expected outcome for the question posed at the beginning of the paper was various ways of communicating with new employees and the impact of this on the quality of their work. Indeed, the articles examined have described the multiple problems that nurses face and given ways to solve them. One of the critical points is the need for each new employee in various types of support. They should be sure that their work matters and they can always seek help. An orientation system is also necessary for new employees to become independent as quickly as possible. Studies show that when these factors are taken into account, nurses are more satisfied with their work. In addition, staff turnover due to this is reduced, which has a beneficial effect on the work of medical institutions.

References

Kurnat-Thoma, E., Ganger, M., Peterson, K., &Channell, L. (2017). Reducing annual hospital and registered nurse staff turnover— A 10-element onboarding program intervention. SAGE Open Nursing, 3, 1-13. Web.

Schmitt, C. A., & Schiffman, R. (2019). Perceived needs and coping resources of newly hired nurses. SAGE Open Medicine, 7, 1-9. Web.