Here’s a look at how five hospital systems are recruiting and retaining nurses to address the looming shortage in many places of registered nurses. Of course, nurses and other non-physician clinicians are taking on larger roles these days because of the financial incentives and punishments for healthcare institutions to move to value-based population-health models and simply because nurses are paid less than physicians.
The flood of aging Baby Boomers is the major reason for the worry about a nurse shortage. Indeed, a surge of retirements among Baby Boomer nurses will be part of the problem.
Among the incentives to get and keep nurses: Bonuses and tuition reimbursement, career-development opportunities and partnerships with educational institutions.
Marcia Faller, R.N., Ph.D., chief clinical officer at AMN Healthcare, said: “{T]he harm to the healthcare industry {of a nursing shortage} goes beyond the numbers. The loss of this intellectual asset may be acutely felt in terms of quality of care and patient satisfaction. To withstand this loss, healthcare providers need help in preparing for the nursing workforce of the future.”
