We need more nurses to staff nursing homes. According to 2022 CMS staff turnover data, an estimated 40-60% are considering leaving the profession entirely, and that number is higher in certain states. At this time, nursing home operators must consider everything from morale boosting activities to HR outsourcing for nursing homes to find the solutions that they need to keep their people happy.
Some of the reasons why many Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are leaving are beyond the control of anyone who might want to step in and bring some alleviation to this situation. However, there are things that can be done to try to encourage at least some of those nurses to remain on the job despite the challenges that lie ahead.
It is challenging for nursing homes to compete with other types of jobs on wages given that so many of the payments that nursing homes receive are directly tied to Medicaid. However, there are some low-cost options open to those who want to get serious about retaining a larger percentage of their nurses.
5 Strategies for Retaining Nurses
Keeping nurses working and happy is the top priority for all nursing homes at this time. However, it is also essential to maintain a proper budget at the same time. Thus, those who charge should consider the following five strategies that are effective and inexpensive.
Respect and Recognition Programs
There is nothing worse than feeling like you are putting in a significant amount of hours and your life into a job that doesn't respect you. Sadly, many nursing home nurses feel like this is the case for them in their role. They are not pleased by the fact that they are often overlooked by their employers. They may also feel like there is little that they can do to earn the attention and respect that they would like to receive. This is why employers should seriously consider implementing a recognition program for their nurses.
A small token of appreciation can go a long way towards letting people know that they are valued and seen. There should be a combination of formal and informal means of recognizing nurses who work in the nursing home. Just make sure you pour on the recognition regularly to keep people happy.
Training and Coaching
Many nursing home employees say that they are more than happy to do great work for their employers as long as they are pointed in the right direction as far as how to do that outstanding work. Employers sometimes overlook the training and coaching aspect of keeping employees around because they see those things as just adding to the overall cost of employment. However, it can also be a means of retaining employees which ultimately saves money.
Career Development
There is no room for advancement or promotion at a dead-end job, and that is incredibly discouraging for most employees. They want to see their career headed for bigger things, but they may feel held back by a dead-end job that doesn't provide them with the support that they had anticipated receiving.
Developing a career ladder that is obvious and apparent for everyone who works in a nursing home facility is a great way to show them that there is a future in their place of employment. They need to have that hope to want to bother sticking around in the first place.
Mentorship and Support
Everyone needs to feel like they are supported in their job. Getting support from co-workers is a big deal for newer employees. It is vital to have the most experienced employees work to mentor those who are newer to the organization because it helps make the newer employees feel cared for and respected. The most experienced workers may find that they feel a sense of pride for teaching some of newer employees the way that the operation works.
Those who provide the mentorship get the satisfaction of helping out the next generation of people who are coming to work for the business, and those who receive the support are able to benefit from learning something new from their co-workers. It is a win-win relationship.
Family and Work-Life Balance
No one wants to spend every waking moment at work, and we all have lives that go beyond what we do when we are in the office. So, it makes sense that we should try to strike a balance between our work and the rest of our lives. Finding that perfect work-life balance and time to spend with family is one of the best things that an employer can offer to their employees.
Focus on Your Workers For Better Results
You can make some choices to help improve retention among the nursing home staff on your own, or you can capitalize on a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). A PEO can be instrumental in making sure the structures are in place to help keep employees around for the long term.
Combining the tips above with ideas that you receive from your PEO can help you avoid becoming yet another statistic in the world of nursing homes. Make sure you take the steps that you need to in order to rise above and keep your workers happy.
