|
There probably aren't any nurse recruiters or administrators who would tell you retaining employees is bad for business. It's pretty obvious any staff thrives when everyone is familiar with one another and the system.
But when a continuously sluggish economy handcuffs hiring parties from bringing in new recruits and scares people away from perusing the job market, there's a risk of working relations becoming too routine or stagnant . even in the healthcare field.
"You might see a lack of participation in training sessions, people calling out sick more often. It might just mean something's going on personally or they've been in one job too long and need a change in their role," said Kathleen Ziccardi, RN, senior nurse administrator with New York-based YAI/National Institute for People With Disabilities (YAI/NIPD).
Adding to the situation is a general inability of older staff to retire, especially if their savings accounts have taken major hits. Not only might these staff members spend each day depressed about their elusive "golden years," it also prohibits the addition of new, fresh staff members who could bring with them new perspectives, ideas and enthusiasm.
The challenge for Ziccardi and other managers becomes keeping staff motivated during trying times, maintaining effective support systems and providing creative solutions for those who may feel "stuck" in a particular role.
Avoiding Layoffs
Of course, the first priority, said those interviewed by ADVANCE, is trying to find ways to keep everyone gainfully employed. This means encouraging staff to be more mindful of budgets and energy conservation, administrators said.
At YAI/NIPD, a network of seven organizations offering an array of healthcare services throughout the New York metropolitan area, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, staff members have been designated "efficiency captains."
"From using personal mugs for coffee instead of buying disposable cups, to not buying bottled water and paying more attention to our food budget and utilities in group homes, staff has been incredibly excited and motivated about taking measures to save money," said Thomas A. Dern, LCSW, chief operating officer at YAI/NIPD.
Not only has this helped avoid layoffs, but also the program resulted in significant savings and a 2 percent salary increase for staff.
"It's been a difficult year, and we expect the next year to be even more difficult, but that was tremendous for morale," said Dern, referring to the raises, which were distributed to staff in lump sums. "We realized more than a year ago the economy was going to have a dramatic impact on our agency. For the first time in the 30 years I've been here, the government gave us no increase to our budget. We started planning in all areas where we could be more efficient."
Officials at William W. Backus Hospital, Norwich, CT, decided to become more conscious of cost-saving measures, as well.
"We don't have as many water coolers around as we once had," said Mary Bylone, MSM, BS, CCRN, assistant vice president of patient care services. "Bless us all if this time next year we're sitting around with a surplus of money, but right now we're trying to make sure we don't spend any money we shouldn't be."
Here Awhile
According to Bylone, her facility has also managed to avoid layoffs, but the effects of the economy on staff have been all too evident.
"The truth is that people are impacted by the economy outside of their own jobs," she said. "We've heard from staff members going into foreclosure, and it's not usual to hear that from nurses. But I don't know that there are too many people who haven't been impacted in some manner by what's going on.
"Regardless of what your profession is, I think this is something that's affected every corner of the U.S. - whether you're a nurse or working at the Department of Motor Vehicles. In fact, we recently lost a phenomenal nurse who had to go back to live with her parents because she was going to lose her house. It's very distressing."
In response, Backus officials recently brought in financial advisers to speak with staff. Backus also offers an employee catastrophe fund comprised not just of staff donations but also money collected from outside the facility by community members.
Bylone said she likes to donate each Christmas as a gift to staff. "We're all looking at an unknown future," she said.
This is especially the case for those who remain unable to retire and those new grads who can't even find jobs despite a continuous nursing shortage.
|