Frontline Caregivers: An Analysis of Turnover and Retention Frontline Caregivers: An Analysis of Turnover and Retention Introduction The turnover of employees in an organization is an inevitable event. However, the rate at which it occurs is a very critical trend that management should monitor closely. In the case of healthcare providers, the stability of their frontline caregivers contributes tremendously to the success or failure of the organization. For some time now, the rate of attrition has been high amongst nurses and certified nurses’ assistants. The high cost of replacing qualified nurses and certified nursing assistants should be a wakeup call for healthcare organizations to implement effective retention strategies.
Eventually, having compassion and showing concern for others without appreciation leads to CF. The chaotic environment with high acuity patients, unrealistic patient expectations along with workplace violence are some the criteria that leads to CF (Flarity, Gentry, & Mesnikoff, 2013). Additional factors causing CF are the higher patient loads, physician-nurse relationships, administrative support, and multidisciplinary services all lead to nurses leaving the profession because they feel overworked and unappreciated. Eventually, this causes the facilities to lose out on receiving full reimbursements from Medicare because of low patient satisfaction scores (Hooper, Craig, Janvrin, Wetsel, & Reimels, 2010). Nurses
McConnell (et al, 2010) suggests that “The sheer size of the gap between what we have and what we need to ensure adequate nurse staffing in LTC is staggering”. She points out that the nurses who work in LTC face daily challenges: chronic staff shortages, limited access to expertise that is needed to deal with clinical and social problems, unrealistic work assignments, low pay, little respect, and few opportunities for career advancements. In short, what McConnell (et al, 2010) is saying in her article is that if these challenges were overcome than maybe more nurses would chose a career path in LTC and there would not be this vast gap to deal with. McConnell (et al, 2010) goes on to say that because of the scientific advances in medicine and geriatrics, people with complex chronic diseases will be living longer therefore, if we do not create a working environment where graduate nurses will want to work, then we will certainly be facing more problems. It was interesting to read in this article of the need for LTC and health professions schools to create a partnership that might encourage nursing students to focus their attention to LTC settings and even to enter innovative academic programs.
The thought of losing one’s life is a topic that cannot be ignored. From the article’s perspective, end-stage heart failure is a complex disease with a poor prognosis (Chen-Scarabelli et al., 2015). Early identification and intervention such as medications and lifestyle modification can help in prolonging one’s life and possibly improving the quality of life. Therefore, it is important for medical staff to intervene early, once the patient is confirmed to have heart failure. Although it can cause an ethical dilemma in patient care, it is highly regarded that all principles be applied to help patients dignity in end of life
In other words, this means that they would need 36% more nurses in the workforce which will add to the nursing shortage. With not enough nurses, there is more stress and a heavier workload placed on the individual nurse which may result in patients not receiving the quality care that they deserve. The patients are being discharged to recover at home but that may lead to other health problems developing. Nursing shortage also isn’t cost effective because of having to pay a lot of money to replace burnt-out
Affect on Nurses Readmission is costly, especially as proposed new guidelines could deny reimbursement for readmissions. (Robinson et al., 2012). Due these to Medicare reimbursement reductions, health care facilities are looking for ways to offset the decreased reimbursements. Nursing staff have felt the affects -mass lay-offs -decreased pay and benefitsm -increased patient load -decreased support staff -accountable to help prevent hospital readmissions/ increase quality measures Affect on Nurses Provisions in the ACA include increasing both the workforce numbers and providing support training of healthcare professions (Archer, 2012).Through theses provisions in the Reform Act there are increased opportunities in geriatric healthcare.
At the present the systems financing our health care include private insurance companies, employer sponsored health insurance coverage, and public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. The Medicare/Medicaid programs are in jeopardy. Unless something is done, the funding for these two programs will be depleted. “Some people work productively for years and die contently with wealth and happiness in old age, whereas others struggle for a few months or decades in agony as they are relentlessly drawn down into premature mortality” (White, 2001). Technology and premium growth are major contributing fact to the rise in health care spending.
Major health care plans, such as Medicare and Medicaid, are being drawn from by the elderly, as they are supposed to, but at a rate to greater than taxpayers are paying for the programs. As these troubles continue, major changes will have to be taking place in the near future to prevent a collapse in health care and an increase in our nations debts. Programs such as Medicare are currently what are running our nation’s health care and preventing complete economic failure. If a person is over the age of 65, fit the government’s standards of disabled, or are deemed poor by the United States Government,
As the US primary care system confronts provider shortfalls due to demographic trends, the growing prevalence of chronic disease, and low proportions of physicians choosing primary care practice, a possible solution is expanded use of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs). This solution is supported by a large body of research demonstrating high quality of NP and PA care and by recent research suggesting that higher proportions of NPs in primary care clinics are associated with improved outcomes among patients with diabetes (Morgan, Abott, McNeil and Fisher, 2012). In my opinion the most important role of human resources in healthcare is ensuring the delivery of services that provide quality, efficiency and equity to its consumers. There are numerous studies that demonstrate how the use of nurse practitioners as primary care providers can significantly assist with meeting current healthcare deficits. I feel as though the utilization of nurse practitioners as primary care providers can greatly assist with the delivery of healthcare to the millions of Americans that will be covered by the
Programs that were in place for the care of people who cannot afford to pay are being considered for cuts and many people are uncertain how they will care for themselves when the time comes. Elderly suicide is real and prevalent and some consider this to be a viable option for not ‘burdening’ the system or their families. Identify two key health care-related challenges to this population, such as increases in health care costs, or the need for in-home medical care. “The need for in-home care that will keep people safe and healthy in their own homes is a growing necessity.” (Garrett, N., & Martini, E. 2007) In our society, we will continue to see a rise in the utilization of both of these programs. Many do not realize how cost effective it is to have services in their own home and are quickly moved into an assisted living community by their families without even considering other options.