Nursing shortage and turnover is a major issue of concern affecting the patients in provision of healthcare to the patients. Nursing shortages have a negative effect which is reflected by the decrease in job satisfaction and a decrease the shortage of nurses therefore leading to poor number of nurses at the hospitals. The aspect of the aging in nurses is an issue of concern due to the fact that the efficiency of workers is decreased. The decline of nurses in the nursing profession. This therefore influence on profitability and performance of the healthcare organizations. The healthcare organizations need a stable and highly trained nursing staff in ensuring that levels of patient care are taken good care of. The nurses may feel not recognized in their places off work and this leads to a high exodus of nurses. They may also not feel respected at their work place making them seek for other job opportunities where they are recognized and respected (Cadiz, 2010 pg16). Lack of collaboration with the coworkers as well as lack of trust may also contribute to nursing turnover and shortage in hospitals. Poor communication may also be a main contributor to nursing turnover.
The healthcare sector is also characterized by high nurses turnover where the nurses move from one health unit job to another. The main causes of high nursing turnover are related to feeling overworked and overstrained by the stringent working conditions. The nurses may also move from one from job to another due to lack career opportunities that can fully utilize the capacity and skills of the nurses.
The nursing leaders should engage in motivation of nurses through fair remunerations as well as paying them bonuses on overtime payments in order to raise their morale. This will therefore encourage them to remain in the workplace due to good working conditions. The nursing leader should also engage the nurses in decision making through a participatory kind of leadership. The nurses are therefore involved in developing policies relating to their working conditions. The nursing leader puts in place long term goals pertaining to the field of nursing in such a way that the welfare of the nurses as well as working conditions will be improved. The nursing leader therefore puts more focus on the welfare and wellbeing of the people in order to ensure the working conditions in the future are improved. The nursing leader therefore concentrates in questioning aspects relating to nursing shortage and turnover in order to set out clearly the reasons responsible for such shortages and turnover (Oosthuizen, 2012 pg18). The leader also challenges the current strategies and measures that will help solve the problems. The nursing leader also helps in ensuring that the right nursing activities and policies are put in place.
In relation to the nursing manager, the systems and structures are properly put in place in order to ensure that the nurses perform their work as per the work procedures and requirements. The manager should also put measures in place in order to eliminate the causes and effects of nurses’ shortage and turnover in hospitals. The manger therefore plans in advance in order to avoid or reduce the labor turnover as well shortages in the country.
The manager should also engage in adoption of technology in simplify working procedures in the nursing as well as reducing the workload that the nurses bear. Technological advancements will help in maintaining the records of each worker which may therefore help in tracing the performance of all the nurses depending on the nature of work in specific hospitals. The role of the manager therefore entails involvement of the nurses in the operations of the hospital in order to seek solution to the shortage and exodus of nurses in the hospitals. The managers approach their tasks by creating strategies, policies and methods to create ideas and teams which combine them to operate smoothly. The managers also appeals to the values, principles and views concerning the nursing shortage and turnover. The managers also therefore ensures that the inherent risks are reduced as well as generation of success. The managers therefore differs from leaders because the leaders engage in creating solutions which are instrumental in curbing the menace of nursing shortage and turnover. The leaders are charismatic and committed in motivating the employees as well as solving problems.
The leaders treat the nurses as followers and influence them to work well in order to ensure there is provision of quality work. The mangers on the other hand treats the nurses as their subordinates therefore the nurses the morale of the nurses will go down making them shift from one job to another. The managers exercise power through position and formal authority which involves giving directions and deadlines on the nurses. This pressure exerted by managers on nurses leads to high turnover as well as shortage of nurses in the hospitals (Sullivan, 2012 pg24).
Managers tend to be autocratic in nature whereby the decisions pertaining to the nurses are only made by the top authority. This will make the nurses less receptive to the policies implemented since they are not involved in determining the suitability of such policies.
The transformational and participative style of leadership suits the nursing profession in order to ensure that the causes and costs associated with nursing shortage as well as turnover are taken good care of. The transformational style of leadership is focused in the achievement of both the vision and mission of the organization. This will therefore help in ensuring that nurses develop positive attitude towards their work so as to achieve their goals. The participatory style also helps in ensuring that the nurses are allowed to participate in decision making and implementation of policies of the organization so that they cooperate in the achievement and practice of such policies. This will also enhance positive response towards the organization which eventually helps in reducing nursing turnover and shortage in healthcare units. This leadership approach also involves embracing the new advancements in technology in order to facilitate efficiency in the provision of nursing services and reducing the work load ((Sullivan, 2012 pg19). This will ensure that the nurses are not overworked thereby relieving them of fatigue and strenuous working conditions.
Transformational leadership style is suitable to the nursing profession because the nurses will also be beneficiaries of the improvement and advancements in the organization. This will improve this service provision facility thereby promoting retention of nurses in places they work. The working environment and benefits are provided to the nurses thereby ensuring that customer loyalty and retention of nurses in the healthcare facilities and hospitals. The nurse turnover and shortages can be dealt with through transformation and continuous advancement of working environment and loyalty of customers.
References
Cadiz, D. M., & Portland State University (2010). The effects of ageism climates and core self-evaluations on nurses' turnover intentions, organizational commitment, and work engagement. Portland, Or: Portland State University.
Oosthuizen, M. J., & Roos, J. (2012). Factors affecting voluntary nursing staff turnover in Mengo Hospital. (http: //hdl.handle.net/10500/5590.
Sullivan, E. J. (2012). Effective leadership and management in nursing. Boston: Pearson.
