Skilled nursing centers and other senior care communities are in need of nurses. It has been projected that 4 out of 10 nurses in the United States will retire within the next few years, and recruiting younger adults into health care is daunting. As a result, there’s not only a shortage of nurses, but turnover among RNs and LPNs continues to be high, leading to less quality care for residents, reduced staff productivity and low job satisfaction for those still working, and higher costs for the senior care industry. What does it take to retain nurses in senior care today?
Why Do Nurses Leave?
Being a nurse in senior care is a demanding job, especially taking into account the diverse resident populations, levels of care, medical complexities and specialty areas that are needed in today’s skilled nursing center. Besides excessive workloads, long shifts sometimes consisting of 12 hours, and challenges with leadership, today’s nursing centers care for residents with dementia, mental illnesses, complex physical health conditions, and are now admitting younger adults, some of whom are diagnosed with substance use disorders. Sometimes the reasons for staying are overshadowed by the many reasons to potentially leave the care center, or the profession altogether.
Serious Retention Interventions Are Badly Needed
Gimmicks to retain a strong and experienced nursing staff will not work. Making promises that the administration can’t keep is strongly discouraged. What is needed right now, are real and effective retention interventions that nurses will take seriously and hopefully stay. After scanning research on this topic, several themes have been discovered, including the following:
- Pay nurses what they deserve in terms of experience, effectiveness, clinical expertise and leadership qualities
- Offer nurses flexible benefits packages that include quality health, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, a 401(k) match, and family leave
- When hiring a new nurse, onboard them as comprehensively as possible, welcoming them to their new place of employment, setting priorities and expectations, and developing a genuine relationship right from the start
- Recognize and reward good nurses by recognizing their worth, loyalty, and value; show them respect, and dignity and build trust
- Realize nurses have lives, too and may need more flexibility in scheduling; rethink 12-hour shift and maybe go back to 8 hours, hopefully producing greater work-life balance
- Nurses need to know they are safe in the workplace and some research shows that 47% of them don’t feel safe due to workplace violence among staff and residents
- If a nurse becomes stressed or burned out in one role or department, transition them to another area in the community
- Because many nurses don’t leave the nursing home per se, they leave management, maybe changing up leaders, or leadership methods is a good idea
- If and when bigger and better opportunities open up, hire nurses from within the organization
- Nursing is stressful, so provide all of the stress management and healthy coping options possible, like self-care techniques, because nurses leave when they are under too much stress
- Create a positive culture of care including crystal clear communication and genuine relationships
Final Thoughts on Retaining Nurses in Senior Care
Nurses are in high demand and there simply aren’t enough of them in senior care. Turnover is high and a huge proportion of nurses are getting to retire within a few short years. This leaves skilled nursing, assisted living, hospice and home health in a bind. Since most organizations know why nurses leave, they need to develop and implement serious interventions to retain good nurses or live with the ongoing nursing shortage crisis.
Resource
De Vries, N. et al. 2023. Retaining Healthcare Workers : A Systematic Review of Strategies for Sustaining Power in the Workplace. Healthcare, 11, 1887.