4 Reasons for Healthcare Staff Retention Issues

Staff retention refers to the ability to retain qualified and motivated employees in their positions. A work environment that encourages professional growth, fosters job satisfaction, and provides work-life balance minimizes staff turnover. 

High turnover in a healthcare facility has costly and disruptive results for medical services. Healthcare HR employees and C-suite hospital executives should understand the factors that improve staff retention and how to implement them. 

Causes of Healthcare Staff Retention Issues

Staff retention is a major concern for many healthcare organizations. Here are several factors contributing to the high turnover rate of healthcare workers.

Aging Workforce

As more healthcare workers approach retirement age, the workforce constantly reduces in size. Statistics show a registered physician's mean age is 51.7 years, while a registered nurse's is 52 years. Many healthcare workers are likely to retire in the next decade. The result is the industry's loss of skilled and knowledgeable staff.

To ensure a sufficient number of experienced personnel, try implementing effective succession strategies. For instance, invest in entry-level training programs for a younger workforce. These education programs help your employees develop skills and competencies in the healthcare sector.

Quitting or Changing Careers

Healthcare workers endure serious stressors in their work environment, such as fatigue, long hours, and burnout. These factors negatively affect physical and mental health, driving healthcare workers to seek better career alternatives.

Improving the working conditions of healthcare workers increases your employees' satisfaction. Strategies to try out include:

• Ensuring adequate staffing levels

• Providing safe working facilities

• Offering competitive salaries and bonuses

• Allowing opportunities for career growth

Increasing Supply-and-Demand Issue

An ever-growing and aging population is increasing the demand for healthcare nationwide. Rising incidences of chronic illnesses put a strain on the healthcare system. The diversity of health workers to address these health conditions needs to catch up to the growing diversity of patients. Without appropriate interventions, there will be a global shortfall of 18 million healthcare workers.

Fortunately, untapped potential exists in leveraging technology to enhance healthcare delivery. You can use telemedicine to assist the physician in effectively monitoring the patient’s health status remotely. This trend allows for better management of chronic conditions that require long-term care, especially home care.

Insufficient Funding and Resources

Healthcare facilities sometimes face budget constraints and resource limitations. This limits the ability of the facility to adequately pay and equip staff, further amplifying healthcare retention issues. This insufficiency results in safety hazards, poor working conditions, and high stress among your workers.

There's only so much you can do about your finances. One way to try to meet your yearly budget goals is to outsource non-core functions.

Partnering with MedCerts

Healthcare staff retention is a significant issue affecting the quality of healthcare and the sustainability of this industry. Factors such as an aging workforce, workers quitting or changing careers, supply-demand issues, and insufficient funding plague the sector. MedCerts offers innovative solutions to help your healthcare facility overcome these challenges. Connect today to to discuss solutions to upgrade the skills and credentials of your workforce.