By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
I usually ask nurse leaders in focus groups and on our webinars about emerging trends in the nursing workforce. These conversations are always interesting. Frontline leaders are astute in identifying changes they see from their discussions with staff, performance management issues, and scheduling requests. Some new trends that have been brought up in recent conversations include the following:
- Growing anger and frustration among long-term staff about salary compression and incentives given to new recruits.
- Nurse resistance to working any nights or weekends – not unusual that a whole night shift might now be travelers.
- A rise in nurse individualism with a decline in teamwork and team backup.
- Increasing requests for a Baylor staffing option – one organization did a pilot and was stunned at the recruitment response.
- There are fewer “good catches” or identification of “near misses” as the staff is less experienced and teams keep changing.
- Nurses on units are not making an effort to get to know each other – “why bother as everyone new is a short-timer and I don’t want to make an emotional investment.”
- Some new nurses want to work part-time (permanently) to maintain their work-life balance.
- Signs of memory loss and cognitive impairment with some nurses who tested positive for COVID and are possibly long haulers.
- A shift away from going back to graduate school – Generation Z has student loan debt, and some now don’t see an ROI on additional education.
- Travel nurses breaking contracts in the middle of their 13-week assignment for “better options and warmer weather.”
- Brand name and academic medical centers are no longer recruitment meccas – need to compete like everyone else on salary and benefits.
- A loss of camaraderie among health systems in the same geographic area – the war for talent is relentless.
- Nurses are declining positions because of the rising cost of housing in high-cost geographic areas.
The nurse recruitment and retention landscapes are not static. Shifts and changes need to be monitored. Staff concerns that were high priority last year may not be today. It is frontline leaders who see observe these changes first so it is crucial to keep an ongoing dialogue with them. All of us need to keep an eye on workforce trends.
© emergingrnleader.com 2022
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