The critiqued article, “Identifying the Key Predictors for Retention in Critical Care Nurses,” by Jo-Ann V. Sawatzky, Carol L. Enns, and Carole Legare, is a study of the key predictors in determining the retention of nurses who work in critical care areas. The abstract is complete, concise and comprehensible. The problem identified a shortage of nurses working in critical care areas, and the purpose of this study is to identify key factors leading to sparsity in critical care areas in hospitals. This is a significant problem, due to the shortage of critical care nurses being an ongoing issue, and reaching a crisis point throughout the world. (Sawatzky, Enns, & Legare, 2015).
Review of the Literature
The problem being studied is the increasing
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The sample sent out a questionnaire package which included the consent form and invitations to participate in the study via the web-based Survey Monkey. Confidentiality was maintained, because the CRNM did not have access to the Survey Monkey or the participants identity. All participants who returned their completed questionnaire was considered as consent to participate in the study. (Sawatzky, Enns, & Legare, 2015).
Researchers Interpretation of Findings
In table one, it provides a summary of demographical data, which includes age, gender, marital status, education, employment status, shift work, etc. These factors were investigated to distinguish between numerous factors and what affect they may have on nurses leaving critical care areas. Table two demonstrates influencing factors, such as nurse competence, nurse expertise, autonomy, years as a nurse, control and responsibility etc. This table also demonstrated intermediary factors, such as job satisfaction, engagement, compassion satisfaction, burnout, etc. Table three represents the data analyzed. The results of this study suggest that intermediary factors were very persuasive predictors in the intent to leave. One limitation of the study was that it included the cross-sectional design. Another limitation of the study was the convenience sampling which may have increased the risk of bias. Other limitations included the study not having longitudinal data, the representative sample included were older than they typical profile and included a smaller sample size. A larger sample size would have made the study stronger. (Sawatzky, Enns, & Legare,
The nursing shortage and turnover are an issue that continually, constantly and bedevils the nursing leaders and managers. Without sufficient numbers in nursing, patient care and safety is considerably compromised, with lapses in service delivery, overworked and overwhelmed nurses more prone to making mistakes and across board dissatisfaction. Nursing shortage leads to nurse turnover because of the ones carrying our nursing duties are finding it hard to meet the demand, and they eventually burn out. This paper critically examines the issues of the nursing shortage and turnover and how the nurse leaders and managers can tackle the situation, easing the outcomes (The Truth About Nursing, 2012).
As the forthcoming nursing shortage threatens the United States, organizations must be knowledgeable in the recruitment and retention of nurses. The challenge facing health care organizations will be to retain sufficient numbers of nurses to provide safe, efficient, quality care to patients. Organizations will look to recruit and attract quality nurses to fill vacancies. As turnover in nursing is a recurring problem, health care organizations will look for strategies to reduce turnover. The rate of turnover for bedside nurses in 2013 ranged from 4.4 to 44.6% (American Nurses Association, 2013). Nurse retention focuses on keeping nurses in the organization and preventing turnover. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the significance of recruitment and retention of nurses, review the literature, and explore how recruitment and retention apply to nursing.
Current literature continues to reiterate the indicators of a major shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. The total RN population has been increasing since 1980, which means that we have more RNs in this country than ever before (Nursing Shortage). Even though the RN population is increasing, it is growing at a much slower rate then when compared to the rate of growth of the U.S. population (Nursing Shortage). We are seeing less skilled nurses “at a time of an increasingly aging population with complex care needs and an increasingly complex technological care environment” (Mion). According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Health and Human Services, it is estimated that “more than a million new and replacement nurses will be needed over the next decade” (Diagnosis: Critical).
The nursing shortage is divided into four different categories. The four categories are as follows; "willing nurse" shortage, funding or perceived funding shortage, shortage of understanding that nurses are needed to deliver care, and nurse education and empowerment shortages (What is the nursing shortage and why does it exist?., 18 October, 2007). To be able to repair this major problem, all four segments of shortages need to be addressed. The first nursing shortage, A "willing nurse" shortage, is the simple fact of not enough supply to fill the demand of nursing positions. This shortage occurs either because there are simply not enough nurses to fill the open positions, or because experienced nurses are opting out of nursing and the willingness to provide care due to the current occupational environment. The second nursing shortage is the funding or perceived funding shortage. This shortage is merely due to nurses not feeling as if they are being compensat...
The nursing shortage most likely does not mean a great deal to people until they are in the care of a nurse. The United States is in a severe nursing shortage with no relief in sight due to many factors compounding the problem and resulting in compromised patient care and nurse burnout. Nursing shortages have been experienced in the past by the United States and have been overcome with team effort. However, the current shortage is proving to be the most complex and great strides are being made to defeat the crisis before it becomes too difficult to change. Researchers anticipate that by 2010, the United States will need almost one million more registered nurses than will be available (Cherry & Jacob, 2005, p. 30).
In spite of the shortage among nurses, there are number of options and recommendations that can better help to maintain an adequate staff level and provide greater strategies needed to increase nursing. The choices open to cover for insufficient staff range from reallocating and postponing work, relocating staff within unit or from other units, to employing temporary additional nurses according to Buchan and Seccombe (1995). In health care, some of these options may not be available because ...
However, upon securing a job, they find that things on the ground are not as they had expected them to be and this results in some of them deciding to leave the profession early. Research shows that turnovers within the nursing fraternity target person below the age of 30 (Erickson & Grove, 2011). The high turnover within the nursing fraternity results in a massive nurse shortage. This means that the nurses who decide to stay have to work for many hours resulting in exhaustion. A significant percent of nurses quitting their job sites exhaustion and discouragement as the reason that contributed to their decision. In one of the studies conducted on the issue of nurse turnover, 50% of the nurses leaving the profession argued that they felt saddened and discouraged by what they were unable to do for their patients (Erickson & Grove, 2011). When a nurse witness his/her patients suffering but cannot do anything because of the prevailing conditions he/she feels as if he/she is not realizing the reason that prompted him/her to join the nursing profession. The higher rate of nursing turnover is also affecting the quality of care nurses provide to
middle of paper ... ... qualified nurses diminishes. Based on this study, administrators should recruit nurses who understand that health care is at its best when health care professionals work collaboratively as members of a team, committed to providing the best possible patient care. References Aiken, L.H., Clarke, S.P, Sloane, D.M., Sochalski, J., & Silber, J.H. (2000). Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction.
The prolonged shortage of skilled nursing personnel has been a serious concern to the healthcare industry, and this shortage has impacted the quality of care delivery. In addition, nursing turnover has also exacerbated the problem of nursing shortage. Nursing shortage has been blamed on many nurses retiring and less younger nurses joining the occupation. There is also an increase in life expectancy (baby boomers) leading an increase in both physical and mental ailment with subsequent demand in nursing care. Nurses are also leaving nursing profession because of inadequate staffing, tense work environment, negative press about the profession, and inflexible work schedules. Even though nursing is a promising career and offers job security, the
First, Becker, Wright, and Schmit (2017) discussed that they would like to have a bigger study if another one is conducted, not just collect the results of a survey from one hospital. The article states, “Future research is indicated to expand the sample to more hospitals and disciplines” (p. 149). The reason is because the authors found a restriction in the study, believing that the results may not represent the overall population. Becker, Wright, and Schmit (2017) said, “Thus, the findings may not be characteristic of acute care nurses as a whole, nor can they be used to generalize the experiences of acute care nurses who care for dying patients” (p. 153).
According to the American Nurse Association, nursing has the second greatest job growth in all US professions. However, the number of nursing shortage is only increasing as the years go by. During the hard times that many Americans have been facing in this economy, there have been lots of nurses whom have been let go from their work field, have re-entered their field just so they can provide for their families, or even nursing students whom have felt discouraged from entering their field professionally because of the nursing shortage situations. To specify in a field, the reason for nursing shortage in the OR can be because of lack of peroperative education or experience, nurses wanting to work in other areas, or the trouble of drawing nurses into this field.
Transitioning from nursing school to working in a hospital setting can be a challenging time for a new graduate. Due to the nursing shortage, new graduate nurses are being hired with little to no experience. This is overwhelming for new nurses, especially when they are not getting adequate support or training from the hospital. The amount of stress, pressure, and lack of training is leading to a high turnover rate for new graduate nurses. With patient acuity on the rise, new graduate nurses that are filling these vacancies in the hospitals, need to be competent nurses to provide proper and safe care to the patients.
Recent literature reports that there is a nursing shortage and it is continually increasing. Data released by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2011) projects that the shortage, would increase to 260,000 by the year 2025. AACN (2011) also reported that 13% of newly registered nurses changed jobs and 37% were ready to change within a year. A study conducted reports that there is a correlation between higher nursing workloads and nurse burnout, retention rates, job dissatisfaction and adverse patient outcomes (Vahey & Aiken, 2004). Among the nurses surveyed in the study, over 40% stated that they were suffering from burnout while 1 in 5 nurses intended
Factors such as, heavy workloads, stress, job dissatisfaction, frequent medical errors, and intention of leaving the job are all common for nurses to experience, especially during the nursing shortage crisis. Not only do the nurses suffer during a shortage, but the patients ' health outcomes suffer even more. For instance, there are higher rates of infectious diseases and adverse patient outcomes, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), upper gastrointestinal bleeding, shock, pneumonia, prolonged hospital stays, failure to rescue, and mortality. As a result, this leads to higher re-admission rates for patients. Furthermore, high patient-to-nurse ratios cause heavy workloads due to an inadequate supply of nurses, an increased demand for nurses, a reduction in staffing and an increase in overtime, and a shortened length of stay for patients. Without the heavy workloads that nurses have to endure on a daily basis, there would more time for nurses to communicate more effectively with physicians, insurance companies, and patients and their families. Those heavy workloads are the result of hospitals reducing the nursing staff and implementing mandatory overtime policies just to meet unexpectedly high demands. Unfortunately, the nursing shortage has affected nurses ' mental and physical health. For example, the most common health concerns for nurses include cardiovascular health, occupational injuries and illnesses, and emotional and physical exhaustion. Therefore, safe-staffing ratios/levels have to become the main
Strategies to decrease turnover and retain nurses should take the priority in the agendas of nursing managers (Cowden, Cummings, & Profetto-Mcgrath, 2011). Many factors may lead to nurse's turnover according to the literature those include and not limited to, working long shifts, overtime, weekends, nights and holidays, scheduling and staffing level, low payment (Ellen, Pamela, Nancy, Mary, & Belva, 2003), lack of recognition and low professional status, job dissatisfaction and inadequate opportunity for professional development (Cartledge, 2001; Cowden et al., 2011; Smith, Capitulo, T, & Fitzpatrick, 2012), excessive stress, low morale and promotion prospects, the need for high standards of education, the difficulties posed by family responsibilities and lack of proper leadership(Cowden et al., 2011; Smith et al., 2012) all may lead to higher rates of turnover. Nationally, in 2009 Hayajneh et al. concluded that the estimated overall turnover rate was 36.6% in Jordanian hospitals, which was congruent with international turnover rate. In this study the authors have attributed the high turnover rate to many factors, such as high demand for nursing workforce by regional and international hospitals, the gap in salary and benefits between different hospitals, the tendency of RNs to seek employment in hospitals close to their place of residence(Hayajneh, AbuAlRub,