During one of the worst labor shortages in history, in order to meet the needs of our patients, community hospitals in the United States must focus on being the employer of choice, based on the power of the mission, the ability of employees to become therapists, and the commitment to build a culture of respect and Provide growth opportunities.

In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across the country are struggling to increase staff and fill shifts, while labor shortages are affecting every industry and disrupting our lifestyles, which has caused many important medical staff to retire early. And leave.

Many community hospitals have meager or non-existent profits, which means they will never be able to compete fully with large, resource-rich companies such as Amazon or Wal-Mart in terms of compensation and benefits.

In this restricted environment, community hospitals will also lose staff at academic medical centers, because these organizations can usually pay more and may provide more types of professional experience.

Community hospitals have always aspired to be the employer of choice, but now they must implement a plan to achieve this goal. The following are four areas that need to be focused on:

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got engaged

Hospital leaders must value positive interactions with all employees—not just doctors, they are indeed vital to the hospital’s operations and reputation—but employees at all levels. My senior leadership team visits the hospital regularly so that we can meet with nurses, nursing assistants, technical, catering, facilities and housekeeping staff who are the backbone of our organization.

When we conduct inspections, we will ask employees about their challenges and frustrations, and we have learned a lot. It also gives us the opportunity to prove to our employees that they don’t have to worry about it alone.

We want them to share their concerns so that we can resolve these issues. Some problems can be easily solved by reallocating resources or ordering new equipment. Others need more time and attention. The key is to let people know that they are being heard. I believe this is one of the reasons why our employee retention rate is so high.

educate

We understand that it is vital to show employees that they have a path to growth. For example, for our nursing staff, we attach great importance to nurse educators so that our nurses can continuously develop new skills.

In addition to skills development, we are now developing on-site degree programs to enable nurses to pursue advanced degrees on our campus. We understand that convenience and flexibility are highly sought-after attributes of a job, and the convenience of moving from hospital units to classrooms without the need to travel by car or bus will make staying in a position a more attractive option.

respect

It is also important to create an environment that builds respect for employees and attracts others to join us. This is why we work hard to ensure that we never stand still. By pursuing the highest ratings from Leapfrog, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other institutions, we show our team that we are committed to creating a first-class hospital.

Recognition is good for our selves and our public relations, but the greatest value is to see employees realize that they work in a great hospital, and we are attracting those who have performed well throughout their careers and want to work for top institutions Candidate’s interest-rating agency.

fair

Any hospital seeking to be the employer of choice must focus on fairness. Regardless of race, fair health outcomes are paramount. All hospitals should strive to do better in this regard, because the racial differences in healthcare are huge. The pandemic has exposed this even more.

Second, we seek employees to achieve a fair balance between work and life. We recognize that downtime is as important as working time. In the wave of the pandemic, we figured out ways to allow people to spend as much time with their families as possible. For those who have to work longer hours, we ensure that they have food to eat and have the supplies and equipment needed to complete their work safely.

We created a pantry for our employees so they don’t have to stop in the market after a 12-hour shift. We provide fresh scrubs and changing areas so that they can leave contaminated clothes in the hospital for cleaning. We even added massage chairs to provide some therapeutic rest for employees who need long and difficult shifts.

Community hospitals emphasize listening to employees, providing them with tools and confidence to grow, and allowing them to create balance in their lives. Community hospitals can position themselves and win the fierce battle to retain and recruit staff.