Although the issue of nursing shortage is a nationwide problem, its current solutions seem to be inefficient in addressing the scope of the challenge. According to the latest statistics, the US labor market is likely to experience unprecedented demand for registered nurses, with more than 10 million nurses required to bridge this gap (Haddad et al., 2021). As of now, there are various reasons as to why the nursing shortage goes underway, including the retirement rates among registered nurses, burnout, lack of incentive and motivation, and the absence of proper onboarding and educational programs for the nurses. As a result, the trends of nursing shortage continue to grow across the country. A prime example of a tangible solution for this issue is the introduction of flexible shift schedules for the nursing team, with each nurse being capable of altering their schedule according to personal and professional needs (Dhaini et al., 2018). Financial incentives for overtime can also become a significant contribution to the nursing shortage decrease.
As far as my workplace is concerned, the General Hospital in Hollywood, FL, has been addressing the issue of nursing shortage for several years now. As a result of some observations, they reached a conclusion that the majority of nurses left during the first two years after joining the team. In order to alter this unbeneficial trend, the hospital has introduced an extensive onboard welcoming program that includes getting to know the team, a series of introductory workshops and training, and professional counseling check-ups during the first six months. In such a way, the nurses indeed feel welcomed and hopeful about their professional future in the hospital, while maintaining optimal nursing retention rates in the facility.
References
Dhaini, S. R., Denhaerynck, K., Bachnick, S., Schwendimann, R., Schubert, M., De Geest, S., Simon, M., & Match RN study group. (2018). Work schedule flexibility is associated with emotional exhaustion among registered nurses in Swiss hospitals: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 82, 99-105. Web.
Haddad, L. M., Annamaraju, P., Toney-Butler, T. J. (2021). Nursing shortage. In StatPearls (StatPearls Publishing, E-book). Web.