According to a current report from Nursing Solutions Inc., the average hospital turnover rate stands at 25.9%—an increase of 6.4% from the previous year. As you know, finding the best employee retention strategies in healthcare is vital in today’s day and age.
If you’re having a hard time finding new employees or getting your current ones to stay—you’re not alone. Healthcare facilities around the country are having the same issue. While it may seem impossible to overcome, there are steps you can take now to improve your facilities turnover rate by this time next year.
Below, we highlight some of the best strategies for retention and recruiting of healthcare workers.
1. Create A Healthy and Functional Workplace Environment
The environment of your workplace can make or break an employee’s desire to work there. A toxic workplace can lead to a stressful environment and a possible mental health decline of employees. Employees leave and may even tell others to avoid employment within that organization.
Creating and demonstrating positive values in a workplace is a tried-and-true way to form a healthy work space. Positive company values guide the right strategy and expected behavior, while forming a “team” dynamic.
Teams will become more efficient and successful; which is vital as the average nurse can expect at least three 12-hour shifts per week.
2. Consider Updating Your Onboarding Process
The onboarding process is the first impression you’ll give to new employees about your facility. All organizations should give new employees the best possible onboarding process for the first few weeks to make them feel comfortable and want to stay.
This should include training about their responsibilities, education about the organization’s history and core values, and continuous support. This process is ongoing, so it’s important to employ the best ways for execution to maintain a higher employee retention rate.
3. Review Compensation And Benefits Packages
Wage can be a major contributing factor to turnover rates. Many healthcare workers are finding higher salaries in travel-centered positions. If you’re finding that your employees are leaving quickly or accepting other job offers, it may be time to review your facility’s compensation and benefits structure.
Organizations should also make it a regular practice to review the current industry trends in their state.
4. Understand Why Healthcare Workers Quit
To have a better idea of what employees look for in a workplace, it can be very beneficial to understand why healthcare workers have quit their jobs, especially in the last few years.
Below are some of the most common reasons why healthcare workers quit:
Desire For Career Advancement
While working in the same position for a long period of time with no changes to responsibility or wages, employees may want a change. It doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong with their current position—however, reviewing duties, wages and benefits may offer the employee opportunities to further their career.
The best way to handle this issue is to make your employee feel valued in their position. This might include giving them more recognition and praise and discussing their future opportunities for growth.
Scheduling Concerns
Healthcare requires demanding schedules. Some of the schedule demands consistently drive employees away. Scheduling issues include shift swapping, over and/or under scheduling, no-show workers, lack of time off/vacation, and unexpected overtime. All these and more can cause frustration within your employees.
The best way to overcome scheduling concerns is to review the processes for creating schedules and see what can be improved. Remember; it can never hurt to ask employees for feedback!
Strained Relationships with Supervisors
Managing a team can be stressful, regardless of how solid the team is. When the stress is not properly managed or helped, it can lead to arguments and a poor attitude in the workplace.
Review with your managers/supervisors their responsibilities, while supporting them with proper resources. Pay attention to patterns, and know when it’s time to make a change.
Burnout and Stress
Finally, the most common reason healthcare workers quit their jobs—stress.
It’s no secret that healthcare facilities are stressful in nature. The workload and physical and mental exhaustion can be challenging. However, there are ways to encourage your workers to minimize their stress.
This could include creating a positive work environment, offering longer or more breaks during longer shifts to rest, hydrate, or check-in with friends and family.
Giving An Extra Set of Hands Is One of The Best Employee Retention Strategies in Healthcare
Another option to reduce stress and fatigue among your healthcare staff—hands-free automated CPR devices.
Never forget to remind your team that they’re performing a crucial role for their community, and thank them for their dedication to their practice!
For any questions or concerns regarding our hands-free automated CPR devices, feel free to contact us directly!
