Article Summary and Review
In the article, “Reducing Annual Hospital and Registered Nurse Staff Turnover—A 10-Element Onboarding Program Intervention,” Kurnat-Thoma, Ganger, Peterson, and Channell (2017) reiterate the essence of employee turnover as a critical indicator of operational effectiveness of a healthcare facility and investigate the turnover at a community hospital. The researchers use an evidence-based approach to assess staffing issues, examine existing literature, and use examples from the healthcare industry as benchmarks for evaluation. The study revealed an exceptionally high turnover rate for new hires, ranging from 28.8% to 49.6% for the period 2009 to 2012. The revelation occasioned implementing a 10-point program designed to reinforce and systematize the onboarding process for new employees. The article is a valuable resource because it identifies a critical challenge the healthcare industry faces and recommends a practical approach healthcare facilities can use to stem the high employee turnover rate.
The research underscores the need for new hires to receive adequate orientation and mentorship from high-performing employees. The recommended intervention entailed retooling the onboarding process and normalizing interactions between the new employees and the managers, coupled with mentorship and support from employees who had excelled at their work. The intervention was useful because it helped reverse the trend, as evidenced by the post-implementation survey, which revealed a significant drop in overall turnover from 18.2% to 11.9% and 39.1% to 18.4% for new hires (Kurnat-Thoma et al., 2017). In this regard, hospitals and other healthcare organizations need to establish ways to orient new hires, enhance communication between employees and the management, and pair new arrivals with veterans in the field to enable them to make a seamless transition from study to practice.
The researchers took elaborate measures to ensure the credibility of the research process and the outcomes. For instance, they used evidence-based analysis of the hospital’s turnover rate using statistics from the hospital, critically evaluated the exit data, conducted a comprehensive review of the literature, and assessed examples from the industry as a benchmark. The analysis revealed that new-hires disproportionately contributed to the high turnover rate, which compelled the Human Resources Committee to design and implement the elaborate 10-point intervention. The findings are critical because they can be used for policy formulation and quality improvement programs for healthcare facilities facing similar challenges.
Healthcare systems and facilities worldwide grapple with an acute shortage of healthcare professionals even as demand for quality, timely, accessible, and affordable care skyrockets. As reforms in the sector aim for universal health coverage, the ambition could be a pipedream without sufficient investment in health workers’ training and development. Newman, Ye, and Leep (2014, p. 341) observe the effectiveness of a healthcare system relies on the capability of its workforce and underscore staff retention as one way to undergird the quality of care. Hospital facilities should appreciate the challenges new hires undergo as they attempt to adjust to a healthcare facility setting’s rigours. Coronado, Koo, and Gebbie (2014, p. 275) observe the last ten years have seen significant improvements in health schools regarding the curricula, including evidence-based practice, and enhanced research agendas. Even though such measures are commendable, they amount to note if the turnover rate remains high because of the challenges healthcare workers face.
The research findings indicate that healthcare facilities can implement effective measures to deal with the challenges of high turnover and the resultant staff shortage. From the research, new employees face innumerable challenges at their workplaces and need support to cope with the stress of working in such environments. Importantly, the study reveals the critical role of effective onboarding, communication with the leadership, and mentorship programs in reducing staff turnover rate.
References
Coronado, F., Koo, D., & Gebbie, K. (2014). The Public Health Workforce: Moving Forward in the 21st Century. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47(5), S275-S277
Kurnat-Thoma, E., Ganger, M., Peterson, K., & Channell, L. (2017). Reducing Annual Hospital and Registered Nurse Staff Turnover—A 10-Element Onboarding Program Intervention. SAGE Open Nursing 3, https://doi.org/10.1177/2377960817697712
Newman, S. J., Ye, J., & Leep, C. J. (2014). Workforce Turnover at Local Health Departments: Nature, Characteristics, and Implications. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47(5), S337-S343