Regina Temple's Tips for Healthcare Workforce Retention

 

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Regina Temple: How to Retain Healthcare Employees

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry struggled to manage inpatient excess capacity while more procedures shifted to an outpatient setting. Today, healthcare systems face even bigger problems as they address the daily challenges of finding available staff and capacity for an increasing patient population. There's also an increased demand for inpatient healthcare services, combined with employee turnover, that is on the rise. If a hospital did not have an efficient management system and an employee retention strategy before the pandemic, the new demands on healthcare systems are likely exploiting these struggles.

A 2021 study by the Mayo Clinic found that one in five healthcare workers said they intended to reduce their work hours or days or quit the profession in two years because of fear of infection, a high workload, anxiety, or burnout.

Prevent Employee Burnout

According to the American Psychological Association, burnout is a physical, mental, and emotional condition caused by stress and working too much. It results in poor job performance and increased negativity. Burnout can also lead to exhaustion, poor care quality, and medical mistakes. Tactics for addressing employee burnout include:

• Adequate staffing and scheduling: Regina Temple says overwork is one of the leading causes of burnout. Hiring more temporary and permanent staff and appropriate scheduling can help alleviate overwork.
• Prepare staff for risk of burnout: Starting when they are newcomers to the profession, employees should be informed about the signs and symptoms of burnout and be given the right tools to help prevent it, notes Regina Temple.
• Focus on patient care: Reducing administrative tasks allows medical professionals to focus on what they do best — caring for patients.
• Improve technology: Technology should make patient care easier, not get in the way.
• Treat burnout: Burnout often carries a stigma. Employers should make sure employees get care when necessary.

Invest in Employee Engagement

Regina Temple points out that employee engagement is a good indicator of job satisfaction. Engaged employees are more likely to make good decisions, feel as if they are valued, and believe they have a stake in the organization. Some tips for improving employee engagement include:

Coaching and mentoring programs

These programs are essential to all healthcare providers: those new and those with several years of experience. They send the message that employers support their staff's career goals, says Regina Temple. Coaching typically refers to a short-term goal, such as helping someone gain knowledge and skills in a new area. A mentor is a career adviser. A mentor and a mentee often have a long-term relationship. 

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Continuing education and certification

Most healthcare professions require continuing professional development (CPD), also called continuing medical education (CME) credits or continuing education units (CEUs). Studies show that CPD has a positive impact on patient care and patient outcomes. 

According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the benefits of nursing certifications include the following:

• Job satisfaction: Nurses certified in critical care or other specialties typically have higher job satisfaction. They feel that their professional experience is recognized.
• Salary: Certification often results in a higher salary.
• Peer respect: Certification leads to greater respect from peers and employers.
• Patient satisfaction: Patients tend to be more satisfied with their care if they know their nurse is certified.  

Regina Temple has served in the healthcare community for over 30 years. She has worked in

various settings, from unionized to non-unionized facilities, for-profit to not-for-profit organizations, acute care centers, and outpatient clinics. For more of her insights on healthcare leadership, healthcare employee satisfaction, healthcare employee retention, and other related topics, subscribe to this page.