We had the shortage during my 25 years as an RN too, and nothing was done then. Nothing. Did “they” care then? It seems “they” are caring a little more nowadays. It also appears many bad decisions were made along the way which didn’t prevent this dilemma that has now reached critical mass.
“Don’t let the door hit you in the butt on your way out” was the sentiment nurses felt. Lots were job hopping to find jobs more compatible with life, and we weren’t paid very well then. Corporation money seemed to be the bottom line, not taking care of their staff. Now they’ve got a critically understaffed pandemic on their hands, and everyone wonders why.
For the nurses, the bottom line is not the money. Our love of humanity is our bottom line or we’d never be doing this, trust me on that one. Especially now. The Gallup poll of 12/20 revealed an 89% vote for nurses being “the most honest and ethical professionals.”
What Has Caused This Tragedy?
There are multiple reasons for our severe nursing shortage. With so many institutions providing numerous statistics, there’s way too many to mention here. I’ll list a few stats according to the University of St. Augustine news blog, Sept., 2021, with references recorded there:
- Rapid 73% increase of the 65+ population, which grew from 41 million in 2011 to 71 million in 2019. Lots more folks to take care of.
- From 2000-2018, the average age of employed registered nurses increased from 42.7 to 47.9 years old. Nearly half (47.5%) of all RN’s are now over age 50. Retirement is on the rise, and not just due to Covid.
- When Covid hit, many RN’s retired or were given an early retirement package to leave. (Wonder if “they’re” re-thinking that plan to reduce their expenses due to the lack of income from cancelled elective surgeries.) In my research, many locations are begging retired doctors and nurses for help.
Outcomes of Nursing Shortages:
- Now, over 3 million nursing jobs are open in the U.S. with a projected growth need of 7% between 2019 and 2029. The United States’ critical nursing shortage is expected to continue through 2030.
- A 2015 study projected 1 million nurses retiring by 2030, and the ANA projects another 1.1 million nurses needed by 2022. Next year. I am horrified by the thought of it. Especially since 17.5% of new nurses are leaving their first jobs within 1 year! These statistics blew away my few remaining brain cells. I’m completely flabbergasted.
- A color graph of the U.S. states, depicted the numbers of nurses per 1000 residents—19 states had 12 nurses or less to care for 1000 people.
- The National Healthcare Retention and RN Staffing survey report of 2021 reported the average cost of turnover for one bedside nurse is $40,038, ranging from $28,400 to $51,700. This results in the average hospital losing 3.6 to 6.5 million dollars per year. They also reported workload/staffing ratios, working conditions, scheduling, and salary are in the top ten reasons nurses are leaving.
Who writes about the cost to the nurses? The cost of losing their comfortable, competent co-workers, their real friends; their livelihood until they find another job; the strain on their emotional and physical health. And don’t even get me started on the costs to “a burned out” nurse. Because I was one. And I’m still paying.
So what are all these hospitals across every single state going to do?
I have a few thoughts to share with hospital administrators who actually want to keep their nurses, to keep them happier and well on every level. These are mine alone, from my 25 years of practice, and you’re likely going to hate them! But it will benefit you to read on … because there’s one thing I know from my incredible career, and that’s nurses.
7 Antidotes to Prevent “Lost Nurses”:
- Give them Lunch! Meaning—the time away to actually eat—sitting down. They’re not asking for an hour to go out to lunch like normal folks. They all know that’s not possible. But give them their 30-40 minute break with free meals while on duty. It’s the least you can do to keep them fed. Also, if parking is paid at your hospital, give them free parking too. No staff should have to pay parking to come to work for you. Let the visitors cover your parking costs.
- Give them flexibility with their hours, all kinds of flexibility and shift sharing when they need it. Let them be active in making their own schedules that benefit every nurse as much as possible.
- Provide child care on site, at very reasonable rates. Cheap. Make separate provisions for “not too sick” kids so their parents can be close to them, and know they’ll be taken care of by professionals. And you’ll have your nurses at work and not at home caring for sick kids.
- Give them good patient ratios and input on patient distribution. Let the supervisory nurses staff as many nurse’s aides/medical assistants that they know they need for their floors. This takes a huge load off, freeing nursing time for skilled patient care and charting.
- Free short counseling sessions PRN “meltdowns”, or PRN whatever they need. Give them the counselors!
- To recharge themselves, they need at least 4 weeks paid vacation each year plus holidays. (Not uncommon in other countries.) Your ROI, (return on investment), will be much happier, rested nurses resulting in better patient care and less errors. Plus, you’ll see a lot less sick time being used. Barring emergencies, your nurses will be on duty when they’re supposed to be.
- Give them Respect. Lee Bond of Singing River Health System really touched my heart with this: “Our nurses are at their wit’s end. They are tired, overburdened, and they feel like forgotten soldiers.”
I attended a virtual candlelit service this May for the working RN’s who died of Covid since the previous May. Four-hundred names were read. The saddest part to me was when the readers didn’t have the name, and could only say where they were from. They died for their patients, and we didn’t even have their names. The ultimate forgotten soldiers.
To the hospitals with high nursing shortages and turnover, I challenge you to initiate my 7 antidotes! It’s gonna cost you, and I can’t give you any ROI figures, because there aren’t any. And there aren’t any because these antidotes haven’t been tried and studied in any comprehensive way because I just wrote them. Many nurses live without any of these benefits in “normal times”.
Even without proof, I can almost guarantee that it won’t cost as much money as you’re losing now from your “lost nurses”. And you won’t have to pay $20,000 sign on bonuses and the $140 per hour that I’ve read about. These lifesaving and job saving antidotes mean much more than that to dedicated nurses, your R.N.’s and L.V.N.’s.
I promise you, when nurses see these wonderful benefits—proving that you really do care about them—you will never have another critical staffing problem. Covid may delay fulfilling your optimum staff, for a very long time. But you can get immediate results that should increase your nurses, and retain the ones you have.
They will want to work for you, because you care. They will be loyal to your institution and give you their very best. Because that’s what we do when we are treated with respect. And all those antidotes not only radiate respect, nurses desperately need them in order to stay healthy in their careers.
P.S. To all our brilliant nurses, I’m not crazy! I fully realize these measures will likely never go anywhere. I certainly never had them. But it doesn’t hurt to put them out there, just in case somebody will listen, to improve the lives of those putting their lives on the line and those coming behind us.