Hospital Aims to Keep Nurses at the Bedside

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Thought I'd share this article:

Hospital aims to keep nurses at the bedside

A new program at Memorial Health aims to counteract the trend of burned-out nurses leaving bedside nursing for cushier, better-paying jobs.

By Anne Hart

Sep. 28 - Fifty-three-year-old Christa McLaurin doesn't want to stop being a nurse -- no matter how much the nursing shortage increases her workload.

And it certainly has.

During one 12-hour shift last week, the neo-natal transport nurse at Memorial Health University Medical Center handled five Cesarean sections and two emergency deliveries in addition to her regular duties.

Her shift was busy, but with a nationwide nursing shortage, rushed has become routine.

"Nurses nowadays have to take care of more patients than they used to and the patients are sicker," said McLaurin, who has 33 years of nursing experience.

America's nursing shortage continues to impact Savannah at Memorial Health, St. Joseph's and Candler hospitals -- especially as the bulk of the nursing work force approaches retirement.

Hospital managers have refocused on retaining these experienced nurses -- rather than concentrating solely on recruiting new hires -- to counteract the trend of burned-out nurses leaving bedside nursing for cushier, better-paying jobs in administration or education.

Savannah hospitals are looking for ways to keep the qualified nurses they have and make bedside nursing more attractive.

Memorial Health's new clinical-ladder program, the first in the region, aims to do just that. The goal is to reward nurses who have excelled in clinical practice.

The program has four different levels designed to enable the clinical expert nurse to obtain continuing professional recognition, career advancement and financial rewards.

For example, McLaurin's experience and skill, as well as community service, placed her at the program's level three when she graduated from the program with about 45 other nurses last week.

Not only will she have the level on her name tag and receive an increase in pay, she'll be in leadership role in her department.

"Nurses who want to stay at the bedside should not be penalized by not having salaries increase if they stay at the bedside," said Rebecca Beauchamp, vice president of patient care services at Memorial Health.

St. Joseph's/Candler is looking into starting similar ladders. Especially since the hospitals already have strong recruitment programs in place.

"The nursing shortage is not going away," said Sherry Danello, vice president of patient care services at St. Joseph's/Candler. "...Our primary goal is retention."

Enrollment in nursing schools is not meeting the demand for nurses brought on by the aging population, Danello said. The average registered nurse is 43.

"Nor are we replacing those retiring with the number of young men and women needed to keep the shortage flat," Danello said.

According to the Center for Health Workforce Studies, 45 states, including Georgia, have shortages of quality nurses. Demands of modern-day nursing require a more educated, experienced nurse work force because hospitalized patients tend to be sicker and treatments more complex.

Memorial Health is moving away from pricey short-term solutions to the nursing dearth such as the traveling nurses programs. St. Joseph's/Candler continues employing traveling nurses.

St. Joseph's/Candler is banking on the health system's designation as a magnet healthcare facility to help retain top nursing staff, Danello said.

St. Joseph's/Candler is among about 85 magnet facilities nationwide recognized for excellence in nursing services. There are two statewide including St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta.

A professional nursing council at St. Joseph's/Candler allows nurses to make decisions about their practice and give input on hospital policies.

"We want to make sure we do rewards for nurses who go beyond the norm," said Susan Howell, oncology specialist and doctoral nurse at St. Joseph's/Candler, "and provide additional training to nurses we already have."

McLaurin, the Memorial Health nurse, expects her veteran nurse peers will be more likely to stay in bedside nursing because of Memorial Health's clinical ladder.

The program allows nurses to perform the work that they got into nursing to do, McLaurin said.

"Nursing is worth going into," McLaurin said. "Yes there are long hours. Yes there are nights and weekends. However, overall it's a very satisfying profession."

Nurse Christa sites more patients and sicker patients as increasing her workload. I did not see in the hospital's program any promise of additional staffing or lower patient to nurse ratio's. So they will get more money, more training, and more of a say in how they perform their roles--But will they have the ability to lower the patient to nurse ratio?

I am sure nurse Christa is a great gal in many ways. However, unlike her I intend to be very vocal about my objections to being overworked. People who just go along with it make it so much harder for those of us that stand up for ourselves and our patients.

Specializes in Hospice, Critical Care.
Originally posted by Rapheal

Nurse Christa sites more patients and sicker patients as increasing her workload. I did not see in the hospital's program any promise of additional staffing or lower patient to nurse ratio's. So they will get more money, more training, and more of a say in how they perform their roles--But will they have the ability to lower the patient to nurse ratio?

Amen!

Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU,.

"hospital managers have refocused on retaining these experienced nurses -- rather than concentrating solely on recruiting new hires -- to counteract the trend of burned-out nurses leaving bedside nursing for cushier, better-paying jobs in administration or education."

how can retaining by giving more pay solve the underlying problem? will they not still be over worked, will not patient/nurse ratio still rise do to not having enough staff? i am confused.

"they" really do think all "we" want is more money, not.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Long Term Care.
Originally posted by Rapheal

Nurse Christa sites more patients and sicker patients as increasing her workload. I did not see in the hospital's program any promise of additional staffing or lower patient to nurse ratio's. So they will get more money, more training, and more of a say in how they perform their roles--But will they have the ability to lower the patient to nurse ratio?

Double Amen!

Yes, we're underpaid, but throwing money at a nurse drowning in the stresses of bedside nursing won't help in the long run. How many nights have we said, "They can't pay me enough to keep doing this job!" Cut the nurse to patient ratio, staff according to acuity, and give us HELP! (aides, transport people, etc.)

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

OK, I'll state the obvious. The idea of the program is that by keeping nurses happy with more control and more money, fewer will leave ... which will mean MORE NURSES at the bedside.

You can't just magically snap your fingers and suddenly "have more nurses." You have to "build up your numbers" by giving people like Christa a reason to keep working. At least this hospital is trying to reward senior staff and give them reasons to stay! As a few people stay, the staffing numbers will improve. With any luck, it will start an "upward spiral" of improvement.

Come on, guys, let's commend this hospital for trying to actually trying improve the working conditions and compensation of its experienced staff -- rather than simply fill in with lesser-trained individuals. Personally, I am not big on clinical ladders, but I am always happy to see a hospital trying to improve conditions and compensation.

llg

Specializes in Med-Surg, Long Term Care.
Originally posted by llg

OK, I'll state the obvious. The idea of the program is that by keeping nurses happy with more control and more money, fewer will leave ... which will mean MORE NURSES at the bedside.

You can't just magically snap your fingers and suddenly "have more nurses." You have to "build up your numbers" by giving people like Christa a reason to keep working. At least this hospital is trying to reward senior staff and give them reasons to stay! As a few people stay, the staffing numbers will improve. With any luck, it will start an "upward spiral" of improvement.

Come on, guys, let's commend this hospital for trying to actually trying improve the working conditions and compensation of its experienced staff -- rather than simply fill in with lesser-trained individuals. Personally, I am not big on clinical ladders, but I am always happy to see a hospital trying to improve conditions and compensation.

llg

I appreciate what you're saying, llg, and what the hospital is doing-- It's a great start. Shared governance is a direction my unit and hospital is moving towards and taking ownership and feeling like we have a little more power is helpful. But I still maintain that they aren't addressing the real problem with bedside nursing. And until they do (as I mentioned, lowering nurse to patient ratios, staffing according to acuity, etc. etc.), the nurse retention and recruitment problem will remain and worsen.

Originally posted by llg

OK, I'll state the obvious. The idea of the program is that by keeping nurses happy with more control and more money, fewer will leave ... which will mean MORE NURSES at the bedside.

You can't just magically snap your fingers and suddenly "have more nurses." You have to "build up your numbers" by giving people like Christa a reason to keep working. At least this hospital is trying to reward senior staff and give them reasons to stay! As a few people stay, the staffing numbers will improve. With any luck, it will start an "upward spiral" of improvement.

Come on, guys, let's commend this hospital for trying to actually trying improve the working conditions and compensation of its experienced staff -- rather than simply fill in with lesser-trained individuals. Personally, I am not big on clinical ladders, but I am always happy to see a hospital trying to improve conditions and compensation.

llg

Very true, and I do give them credit for taking the first steps. However, they can address the issue of overwork right now, and relieve the stress on nurses. They can hire more auxilliary help. Aides, housekeeping, unit clerks around the clock, transport, more lab people, etc. If a nurse, for example, doesn't have to spend time transporting patients, carrying specimens to the lab, etc, that in itself would be worth it. Adding on help can be done right now. Creating teams that lift patients, IV teams, and that sort of thing will also help tremendously.

Finally, they can make use of registry nurses to help the ratios right now. Many hospitals deliberately leave staffing as it is, even though they can get temp help. And then, if their hospital is such a shining example, many of the registry may want to come on board.

They can also hire on more per diem, and allow true flexibility. Let per diems work as much or as little as they want. That's why they're per diem. Let them buy health insurance through the hospital. Give them incentive to work for you rather than registry.

And so on. The nurses are out there, they're just not working. Or working less. If you offer then something worthwhile, they'll come.

+ Add a Comment