23/06/2022 by Inecia Stewart, MSN, CCRN, RN-BC 0 Comments
"Change" - 6/23
Learn more about the current healthcare provider shortage.
“Change”
“COVID-19 didn’t create the healthcare staffing shortage, but the impact is worsened because of it”, states Bart Valdez (Medical Economics). “My clients were experiencing the impact of the shortage well before any of us knew what COVID-19” was, he further explains.
The healthcare provider shortage has become especially acute recently due to the aging population of the Baby Boomer generation. Advances in medicine has caused people to live longer, which mean that health care professionals must be able to manage more chronic conditions. Although this is all true, we can all agree that the pandemic has left an emotional strain and PTSD among healthcare workers making an already tough situation worse.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the demand for qualified nurses and nursing assistants will increase in the coming decade. In some cases, facilities have resorted to hiring contract workers to fill temporary shortages. This trend consists of staffing towards 60-70% capacity, then flexing up during time of increased resident census with contract providers. As a result, long-term or “loyal” staff, keep witnessing their facility offering sign on bonuses, three times higher pay and flexibility with schedules. Caregivers, we hear your cries and IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE! Although appropriate compensation is an important factor, a focus on pay as the only satisfier for healthcare workers is misguided and will not solve the larger systemic problem underlying caregiver distress.
So, what’s next? Lets’ first revisit change. Kurt Lewin, the creator of the Change Theory of Nursing theorized a three-stage model of change known as the Unfreezing- Change- Refreezing Model; that requires prior learning must be rejected and replaced. He defines it as a dynamic balance of forces working in opposing directions. Unfreezing is the process which involves finding a method of making it possible for people to let go of an old pattern that was somehow counterproductive. Change is the process of altering or replacing existing knowledge, skills, attitudes, systems, policies, or procedures. The refreezing stage is establishing the change as the new habit, so that it now becomes the “standard operating procedure.” Without this final stage, it can be easy to go back to old habits.
Now that we know the process of change, what changes are needed. Unfortunately, there is no right way to correct this problem. Organizations must use trial and error to implement new systems within the company structure. On the bright side, there are few strategies that can be used to promote employee retention and job satisfaction. The first is to foster a healthy work environment. Fostering a healthy work environment includes creating a dedicated space for team members and a place for workers to comfortably eat or relax during breaks. Did you know that Cozy Living Community provides a relaxing indoor/outdoor space that offers beautiful views of the grounds, where you can commune with the birds and squirrels? This indoor/outdoor environment houses individual lockers for staff to store personal items. In addition, this facility also offers paid lunch breaks! There is not a lot of companies out there that will pay you to take a break in a tranquil environment.
Another strategy is to provide professional development resources, to promote internal career paths and to support continuing education so that employees grow within the organization. Our facility educator provides mini training sessions during staff meetings, and several opportunities for learning such as online training modules, skills checklists, and our professional development step ladder. BLS certification training are frequently offered to keep staff up to date and current. Cozy Living Community leadership encourages staff to grow by pursuing education and setting personal/profession goals. Have you checked out our professional step ladder yet? If you haven’t already, ask how you can grow within the company.
Community, group cohesion, and autonomy reduce employee turnover among care providers/caregivers who feel they have a sense of community at work report higher levels of job satisfaction. When companies bring in new staff, making these employees feel welcome with an onboarding program can help encourage employee retention. We are currently transitioning to a new onboarding platform called “Gusto”, which will allow staff to keep up with their own personnel paperwork, payroll, time requests, and required training. Our recent new hires have been an amazing addition to our Cozy Living Community family! Cozy Living Community Assisted Living’s “CHANGE” is headed in the right direction.
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