Top Concerns of Nurse Executives

Several issues are plaguing healthcare systems and nurse executives across the country. In terms of staff recruitment and retention, healthcare systems have found themselves in overburdened situations.

Patient satisfaction and the quality of patient care are suffering as a result of the nursing shortage and other factors. A nurse executive’s failure to find the best fit solution for their healthcare staff can have a negative impact on the patient experience. While still dealing with the effects of the ongoing nursing shortage, nurse executives have serious concerns that will most likely worsen in the coming years. The following sections will look at some of the most pressing issues confronting nurse leaders across the country.

 

Nursing Leadership Issues

Along with the growing nursing shortage, nurse managers face a number of concerns. As if nursing shortages and their impact on patient and staff satisfaction weren’t enough, nurse managers have witnessed other issues in healthcare over the last two years. The following are the major issues affecting healthcare systems and frustrating nurse managers:

Employees’ professional disengagement: This is typically due to high-stress environments and a limited ability to take a break from their hectic work schedule. Nurse burnout is causing resentment among overworked employees, causing them to disengage and possibly leave their jobs.

Difficulties with recruitment and retention: With nursing graduate classes shrinking and hospitals having little training staff available for new hires, staff recruitment and retention have become a major issue. As hospitals across the country deal with a nursing shortage, there is also increasing competition for nurses, not to mention competitive pay.

Rising contract labor costs: With the use of travel nurses nearly tripling in the last two years, many hospitals are struggling to keep up with the rising prices, with some CNOs paying $150 or more an hour for travel nurses. They are required to fill staffing gaps, but they do not provide the long-term retention that hospital staff would prefer.

Lack of nursing graduates: Nursing schools rejected over 56,000 qualified applicants in 2020, according to a Hospital Review. Furthermore, those admitted have had either online training or limited in-person patient care experience. Hospitals are concerned that a large number of inexperienced nurses will have a negative impact on patient care and safety due to a lack of training staff.

High nurse leader turnover: COVID-19 had a significant impact on registered nurses, nurse leaders, and managers. Due to the overwhelming commitment, many people have worked to the bone and left the profession after many years. When this happens, it disrupts the flow of a healthcare system and exposes workers to new initiatives and practices implemented by new leadership.

Challenges of a Nurse Leader

Nurse managers must concentrate on repairing the harm done by COVID-19 to their staff. There is an urgent need to strengthen the pipeline of new healthcare workers. Hospitals can collaborate with universities to train recent nursing graduates for full-time nursing positions at hospitals after graduation. They can also collaborate with international staffing agencies like Avant Healthcare Professionals to find international nurses for a longer-term solution.

When it comes to hiring new nursing staff, there is a significant delay. Hospitals must either wait for the finalization of staffing contracts or until a new group of nursing students graduates. Nurse managers would be wise to care for and develop the talent they already have at their facilities. Nurse managers should determine additional staff skills and learn how to utilize them in their facility. They should have nursing staff readily available to tackle immediate critical care tasks.

Nurse managers must look at their workplace culture and determine what needs to change to improve nurse retention. Employees must be cared for, as many have left hospitals feeling exhausted as a result of the excessive workload placed on them. They require improved benefits and overall wellness assistance, particularly from their nurse leaders. They can get help from mental health checks, breaks during the day, and more flexible scheduling.

Current Trends in Nursing

We will examine all trends affecting hospitals in 2022 in light of these new issues and concerns. COVID-19 made it nearly impossible for hospitals to keep up with healthcare systems and meet their patients’ needs. As most hospitals have stabilized, they are now reviewing current trends and planning how to address them in the future. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the following are the upcoming trends that hospitals will face this year and next:

  • Nurse job openings will continue to increase.
  • The Mental Health of Healthcare Workers Will Be Affected
  • Short-Term Solutions to Nurse Shortage Will Affect Patient Care Virtual Technology Will Transform Nursing School
  • New Nurse Graduates Will Need More Training Online Nursing Graduate Programs Will Grow

The Bottom Line

Some solutions to these problems may be beyond the capabilities of particular healthcare systems. Outside agencies and organizations will be needed to assist them with these issues, especially since hospitals have already spent billions of dollars to retain and recruit nurses to fill the nursing gap. International nurse staffing solutions, for example, are a very viable option because they provide long-term retention and allow nurse executives to continue to build their team without fear of moving on to other careers. Nurse executives must prioritize the well-being of their employees.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What are nursing leadership issues?

High nurse turnover and nurse retention are two of the most pressing issues for nurse leaders. They are always on the lookout for long-term solutions that will not only alleviate their staffing issues but also enrich their nursing staff. Nursing leaders face challenges in providing quality care to their patients and healthcare staff.

What makes an effective leader in nursing?

An effective nursing leader possesses strong communication skills as well as a desire to do what is best for your patients and staff. They should have a clear vision and be willing to listen to their team’s difficulties. They should be able to provide effective communication and solutions that will benefit their entire healthcare system while also increasing nurse retention.

What is the greatest challenge that nurse leaders face in healthcare?

The most significant challenge that nurse leaders face is the ongoing nursing shortage. As a result of COVID-19, there is even more pressure on nurse leaders to improve the quality of their nursing staff. Specifically, there is a scarcity of experienced nurses who are eager to work. They’ve been pushed mentally and physically to fill staffing gaps, and they’re worried about how they’ll keep their facilities adequately staffed for the influx of patients.

About Nurse to Hire 

Do you require nurses? Nurse to Hire is the leading international staffing firm for registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other healthcare professionals. Thousands of international healthcare professionals have been placed in U.S. facilities to help improve care continuity, fill hard-to-find specialties, and increase patient satisfaction, revenue, and HCAHPS scores.

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