Keeping Nurses Happy at Work
The registered nurses in your healthcare institution help to define its success. However, according to a 2017 study by Kronos Incorporated, 98% percent of nurses report their work is physically and mentally demanding. Meaning, nurses can quickly become unhappy in their jobs or simply burn out, leading them to leave.
In this article, we look at these and many other reasons why you may suffer high turnover rates of your registered nurses.
Lack of Support
One of the biggest complaints that nurses have about their jobs, and that ultimately can lead to them deciding to leave, is that they suffer from poor management and a lack of support from their supervisors.
When a supervisor does not value open communication and feedback, a culture of blame can be created, and most nurses will not want to subject themselves to this type of environment.
Managers are often unaware of the difficulties that their nurses are facing bedside because they become wrapped up in their own duties.
Nurses need to feel as though they are a valued part of the healthcare team and that their troubles are being listened to. Part of the role of supervisors and nurses is to place a metaphorical, caring arm around their nursing staff.
Overwork
In today’s hospital environments, nurses are undertaking increasing amounts of care. Assisting patients, administering medication, performing bedside procedures. You name it, they do it. The endless list of tasks that your nurses must do can lead to them being overworked.
Long shifts, with endless tasks, and often short or non-existent breaks can make the thought of coming into work difficult. When nurses become overworked, they look to take time off – eventually, they will start a search for a job elsewhere.
Underpaid
Nurses often feel like they are working the job of four people and getting paid for the role of one. With the large number of tasks that nurses do, to keep them motivated to come to work you need to offer fair compensation.
Work Flexibility
Registered nurses often sacrifice holidays, weekends, important life events, and time with family and friends because of ever-changing shifts. The feeling that their work-life balance is weighted more towards work, and that they are missing out on important personal time and events can make nurses look for a role that will allow them more flexibility to enjoy the personal moments in their life.
Under-staffing at Your Healthcare Institution
Many healthcare institutions are under financial pressures. This leads to a desire to cut costs. As nurses are often known to wear many hats and take on multiple tasks, management may feel it is an unnecessary cost to replace all staff as they leave, leading to staff shortages – and results in many of the issues that we have highlighted above.
For example, your ward may not have a nurse aide or unit secretary because you believe other registered nurses can pick up the slack. Unfortunately, this ultimately makes registered nurses unhappy in their role as they feel underpaid, overworked, and as though they cannot take time off due to the lack of staff.
Opportunity for Growth
Registered nurses can often find it difficult to grow in their careers. The job they have may not lead to any professional development. Perhaps because it is difficult to replace them or there may be very few management roles. Consequently, career progression for registered nurses does not have as many clear steps as many other types of jobs.
Giving registered nurses the opportunity to progress through training, career-pathing, and promotion is a great way to encourage nurses to stay with you.
To Sum Up
Your registered nurses are a vital part of your organization. Replacing them is costly and time-consuming, and finding the right talent can often be difficult.
Once you have a great team of registered nurses you should ensure that they work in a supportive environment. Provide opportunities for career progression, pay competitive salaries, and listen to the needs and wishes of your nursing staff.
Do these things, and your retention numbers will improve – and that will feed directly to the care you provide, the reputation of your healthcare facility, and your bottom line.
For help recruiting top talent for your registered nurse roles, contact Loyal Source.