Evaluation is an important part of the change process as it indicates whether the expected outcomes are being met. It also reveals barriers and obstacles that prevent the realization of an initiative’s goals and objectives. Staffing models play a significant role in determining nursing satisfaction and retention (Hunt, 2009). This is the main reason why the proposed new staff matrix is expected to reduce turnover and enhance job commitment among the nursing staff.
The evaluation process will involve the assessment of various variables (turnover rate, job satisfaction, and patient’s perceptions and attitudes). The Workforce Planning Committee will be responsible for the assessment (American Hospital Association, n.d). Using PowerPoint presentations and printed handouts, nurses, supervisors, and managers will be educated on the proposed solution and the evaluation process. This will assist each internal stakeholder to familiarize with the assessment tools and know what is expected of them.
Turnover Rate
The first step will be to conduct a retrospective review of the staffing levels and recruitments to determine the turnover rate before the implementation of the proposed staffing model. This process will involve interviewing executives (human resource manager, nurse leaders, and supervisors) on the retention and recruitment trend for the past two years. In addition, the WPC will examine recruitment and human resource documents such as appointment letters, job interview notes, and resignation letters. The turnover rate obtained from this survey will act as the baseline by which the proposed initiative will be assessed for effectiveness.
Following the implementation of the staffing matrix, the evaluation of the turnover rate will take place bi-annually. The WPC will distribute questionnaires electronically to the human resource manager and nurse leaders in various hospital departments. This tool will focus on the number of staff who have left the organization for the last six months, their job description, and their reasons for resignation. It will also check the number of recruits. The WPC will then compare the new turnover rate.
Staff Attitudes and Perception
Six months after the introduction of the new model, the same exercise will be conducted to determine whether the changes made in staffing have improved nurses’ satisfactions. In addition, the nurses will be asked to give an assessment of the changes and give suggestions to improve the staffing model. This time, the WPC will check to see whether nurses were experiencing positive differences in empowerment, occupational commitment, and job satisfaction (Weidner et al., 2012).
Patients’ Attitudes and Perception
The WFC will use the patient satisfaction forms to assess the clients’ attitudes towards the nursing care they receive from the hospital staffs. These forms ask the client to rate how well the nurses communicated to them, listened to their complaints, and offered care. A retrospective review of these forms (six months before implementation) will be used to establish a baseline for assessment. Every six months after the commencement of the new model, the WPC will analyze the client satisfaction forms to evaluate the effects that the staffing initiative has had on nursing care and patient contentment.
References
American Hospital Association. (n.d) Developing an effective healthcare workforce planning model. Retrieved June 20, 2016, from http://www.aha.org/content/13/13wpmwhitepaperfinal.pdf
Hunt, S. T. (2009). Nursing turnover: Costs, causes, and solutions. San Francisco: Success Factors, Inc.
Weidner, A., Graham, C., Smith, J., Aitken, J., & Odell, J. (2012). Alberta: evaluation of nursing retention and recruitment programs. Nursing leadership (Toronto, Ont.), 25, 130-147.
