Discussion Week # 3 _ NURS 6053

Instructions

:

Respon

d

to

your colleague

by providing additional thoughts about competing needs that may impact

your colleagues’ selected issues, or additional ideas for applying policy to address the impacts

described

.

**minimum of three

(3)

scholarly references are required for each reply

cited

within the body of the reply & at the end

**

Reply

#

1

Stephanie

Hedden

Competing

Needs

That

Cont

ribute

to

Turnover

Hospitals

need

nurses

to

care

for

patients,

and

nurses

need

hospitals

for

their

own

livelihoods.

Certainly,

this

statement

is

an

oversimplification;

however,

it

contains

the

truth

that

on

a

basic

level,

both

employer

and

employee

need

on

e

another.

Residents

of

a

given

area

tend

to

want

to

find

permanent

employment

near

where

they

live,

and

nurses

are

no

different.

However,

the

phenomenon

of

“travel

nursing”

has

complicated

this

picture,

providing

for

individuals

to

maintain

lifestyles

of

temporary

employment

in

places

removed

from

their

usual

lives.

This

arrangement

becomes

necessary

when

the

“needs

of

the

workforce”

and

locally

available

resources

become

mismatched;

either

available

nurses

far

outweigh

available

jobs

in

the

area,

or

as

is

more

often

the

case

recently,

available

jobs

for

a

given

area

are

so

plentiful

that

organizations

recruit

employee

resources

from

other

locales.

To

understand

the

connection

between

“travel”

(or

“agency”)

nursing

and

turnover,

consider

questions

nursing

l

eadership

must

weigh

when

debating

using

this

temporary

personnel

solution.

What

percentage

of

full

-

time

nursing

positions

should

be

filled

by

these

transient

workers?

How

much,

if

any,

control

does

the

local

facility

have

over

the

compensation

rate?

What

efforts

can

be

made

to

ensure

the

local

workforce

can

begin

to

support

the

open

positions

once

travel

nurse

contracts

expire?

Then,

consider

the

existing

nursing

staff’s

perception

of

the

situation’s

fairness

or

lack

thereof.

These

temporary

workers

receiv

e

pay

far

beyond

their

own,

though

they

may

have

been

faithfully

committed

to

the

organization

for

many

years.

Encountering

contract

nurses

in

their

own

facilities

may

prompt

them

to

consider

the

cost

-

benefit

ratio

of

leaving

their

own

stable

employment

fo

r

the

lure

of

higher

pay

if

they

pursue

agency

contracts.

Nurse

leaders

are

not

unaware

of

the

potential

for

the

use

of

“travel”

nurses

to

contribute

to

feelings

of

dissatisfaction

and

burnout

among

established

staff;

constantly

training

and

orienting

new

staff

to

the

team

could

create

so

much

unrest

and

burnout

as

to

cause

even

more

turnover.

Therefore,

the

ethical

dilemma

of

how

to

fill

which

positions

by

whom

and

from

where

illustrates

the

two

competing

needs

of

the

nursing

workforce

and

its

ever

-

changin

g

pool

of

human

resources.

Policy

To

Address

These

Competing

Needs

Instructions:

Respond to your colleague by providing additional thoughts about competing needs that may impact

your colleagues’ selected issues, or additional ideas for applying policy to address the impacts

described.

**minimum of three (3) scholarly references are required for each reply cited

within the body of the reply & at the end**

Reply # 1

Stephanie Hedden

Competing Needs That Contribute to Turnover

Hospitals need nurses to care for patients, and nurses need hospitals for their own livelihoods. Certainly,

this statement is an oversimplification; however, it contains the truth that on a basic level, both employer and

employee need one another. Residents of a given area tend to want to find permanent employment near where

they live, and nurses are no different. However, the phenomenon of “travel nursing” has complicated this

picture, providing for individuals to maintain lifestyles of temporary employment in places removed from their

usual lives. This arrangement becomes necessary when the “needs of the workforce” and locally available

resources become mismatched; either available nurses far outweigh available jobs in the area, or as is more

often the case recently, available jobs for a given area are so plentiful that organizations recruit employee

resources from other locales.

To understand the connection between “travel” (or “agency”) nursing and turnover, consider questions

nursing leadership must weigh when debating using this temporary personnel solution. What percentage of full-

time nursing positions should be filled by these transient workers? How much, if any, control does the local

facility have over the compensation rate? What efforts can be made to ensure the local workforce can begin to

support the open positions once travel nurse contracts expire? Then, consider the existing nursing staff’s

perception of the situation’s fairness or lack thereof. These temporary workers receive pay far beyond their

own, though they may have been faithfully committed to the organization for many years. Encountering

contract nurses in their own facilities may prompt them to consider the cost-benefit ratio of leaving their own

stable employment for the lure of higher pay if they pursue agency contracts. Nurse leaders are not unaware of

the potential for the use of “travel” nurses to contribute to feelings of dissatisfaction and burnout among

established staff; constantly training and orienting new staff to the team could create so much unrest and

burnout as to cause even more turnover. Therefore, the ethical dilemma of how to fill which positions by

whom and from where illustrates the two competing needs of the nursing workforce and its ever-changing

pool of human resources.

Policy To Address These Competing Needs