Recruitment and retention of nurses is a role conducted by the nurse manager. As so, it is the nurse manager’s responsibility to ensure the welfare of nurses and the provision of quality services to patients. With the recruitment of nurses, the nurse manager ensures their orientation to help new nurses understand their roles and responsibilities. A nurse manager ensures that the hospital retains good nurses by applying strategies that provide a conducive work environment for nurses (Team Management Principles, 2017).
In the case scenario presented, the staffing is below average with a high turnover raising complaints from the other nurses on the frequency of orientation. Also, new nurses are only staying a few months then leaving. Patients are complaining that their needs are not met affecting patients’ outcome, budget and staff morale. Several errors in documentation and medication have occurred over the past few months leading to poor patient outcomes. According to team management principles (2017), these concerns could be as a result of recruiting new nurses, low staff morale, poor remuneration and poor working hours. It could also be due to poor communication, lack of teamwork and administrative support and high work risks. All these are priorities that need to be addressed immediately.
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One of the short-term decisions that should be made by a nurse manager, in this case, involves improving administrative support. It is crucial for a nurse manager to know the staff members well to promote empathy towards their situations and become more understanding. This understanding helps a nurse manager better identify areas where support is needed. Promotion of teamwork is another short-term decision that can be made to promote a quick resolution of problems and ensure better care for patients is provided (The Royal Children’s Hospital, 2014).
Another short-term decision is the provision of precise information in staff orientation and evaluations. This clarity ensures that expectations of nurses’ jobs are outlined making it easier for staff to orientate new nurses easing the burden. Provision of feedback another short-term decision goes a long way to help team feel appreciated and recognized increasing morale and promoting better servicing of patients. Open communication another short-term decision allows staff to feel comfortable around nurse managers making it easier to share their challenges. Open communication will, therefore, promote early identification of problems and creation of solutions (Team Management Principles, 2017). As a nurse manager, these are the first steps of retention and recruitment that should be applied to help improve the situation within the first few months.
Advocating for competitive salaries and benefits is one long-term decision that a nurse manager can make to promote retention of nurses. Competitive wages and benefits help staff members feel that the compensation is fair increasing their morale, developing loyalty and ensuring new nurses do not leave. Provision of nurse residency is another long-term solution that would help create a sense of belonging for new, inexperienced nurses ensuring they acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for the field (The Royal Children’s Hospital. 2014). Thus errors in documentation and medication dispensation will reduce significantly.
Offering apprentice programs for new nurse recruits in school is another long-term decision that will not only promote loyalty but ensure the increased quality of services offered to patients. With improved quality of services, nurses will feel better appreciated which will boost their morale also reducing turnovers. Nurses require protection because their line of work is precarious. Therefore, another long-term decision should be the gathering and provision of information regarding what a nurse, hospital or doctor can be sued for. This information will help staff understand where they stand and to what extent they can be protected, creating a sense of security (Team Management Principles, 2017).
A nurse manager should strive to ensure nurses’ voices are heard because their poor performance affects hospitals negatively in many ways especially reducing patients’ traffic. Thus, a nurse manager should ensure they have a good relationship with nurses to manage them effectively.
