Colton Stombaugh
Case #1
Case #1: A Critical Shortage of Nurses
Which trends described in this chapter are contributing to the nursing shortage? The immigration of nursing workers from other countries (expatriates) allowing hospitals to keep lower pay for nurses is making it difficult for hospitals to hire new nurses. The tough work conditions during a time when the workforce as a whole is becoming more and more empowered is also contributing to the shortage.
What HR trends and practices described in this chapter might help hospitals recruit and retain enough nurses?
Introducing flextime would help create more favorable working conditions for employees. The case also stated that nurses are having trouble keeping up with their various tasks, so hospitals reengineering their work systems might also help those qualified as nurses decide to reenter the profession if job stress was an issue for them.
Imagine that you are an HR manager working for a hospital. In general terms, suggest how you might support the hospital’s ability to attract and retain talent. Which HRM topics will you need to explore further to develop your ideas? I would make sure that nurses got paid appropriately for their work, and also had acceptable expectations placed upon them as far as scheduling goes. If there are enough people certified as nurses to fill all nursing vacancies the job environment and pay must not be desirable enough to encourage these qualified people to work. I would need to learn more about employee pay structures and ways to make the work environment more flexible for employees.