forbes.com
Nursing Shortage: A Workplace Wellbeing Crisis
A perceived nursing shortage is actually a shortage of jobs nurses want to take due to poor compensation, inflexible schedules, and negative work environments; addressing this requires systemic workplace improvements to foster wellbeing, impacting retention, recruitment costs, and patient care.
English
United States
John Hopkins School Of NursingIndeedUniversity Of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre
Olga YakushevaKyle M.k.
- What is the primary cause of the perceived nursing shortage, and what are its immediate consequences for the healthcare system?
- The core issue is not a nursing shortage, but a lack of jobs nurses are willing to accept due to poor compensation, inflexible schedules, and negative work environments. This results in high turnover and increased recruitment costs for healthcare organizations. Addressing this requires systemic improvements, not simply hiring more nurses.
- How do the findings of Indeed's Global Work Wellbeing Report 2024 illuminate the challenges faced by the healthcare industry and other sectors?
- The problem reflects a broader trend of declining work wellbeing across industries, impacting business success and employee satisfaction. Indeed's Global Work Wellbeing Report 2024, based on 250 million data points, reveals only 20% of individuals thrive at work, highlighting the need for systemic change. This is further supported by a survey showing 78% of leaders acknowledge a disconnect between workplace environments and employee needs.
- What fundamental shifts in leadership approaches and organizational culture are necessary to improve workplace wellbeing and address the underlying causes of the nursing retention crisis?
- Future improvements hinge on addressing three key drivers of wellbeing—sense of belonging, feeling energized, and feeling included—which outrank compensation and flexibility. Outdated leadership practices hinder progress; leaders need to understand how the work environment might be suppressing employees and make changes to foster inclusion and wellbeing. Focusing on these factors will attract and retain nursing talent.