Staffing shortages are a common concern within healthcare. But a new report from Press Ganey shows there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.
The report examined data from over two million healthcare employees based in the U.S. Some of its primary findings were that one in five healthcare workers left their roles within 12 months. One-third of employees are disengaged, causing concern for overall staff engagement, however overall engagement may be on the rise.
Staff Engagement Moving in the Right Direction
When conducting this study, Press Ganey specified engagement as a mix of satisfaction and the willingness to recommend the employer to others.
One of the report's more positive findings is that engagement is on the rise for the first time since the pandemic. Nearly sixty-nine percent of healthcare workers are engaged or highly engaged. The report judged this engagement on a five-point scale. This saw a rise in staff engagement from 4.02 to 4.04.
In a discussion with Chief Healthcare Executive, Press Ganey's Chief Physician Officer, Jessica Dudley, pointed out a specific improvement in nurse engagement (3.85 to 3.89). She asserted that there's still room for growth, saying, "Organizations that have really leaned in to focus on nursing, including nurse leaders and frontline, this is not the time to kind of sit back."
Turnover Rates Still Persist
Losing a physician could cost between $500,000 to $1,000,000. This loss could be more for some health systems as thirty-nine percent of employees are considering leaving their jobs. Dudley says that health systems must learn how to satisfy their employees to avoid these losses.
The report went on to say health organizations are losing employees to other sectors. The appeal of non-clinical jobs that allow remote flexibility fuels the turnover rate in healthcare. Dudley expanded on this, saying, "It does create more challenges when I think they're being lured away by opportunities that create maybe more flexibility."
Improving Staff Engagement
Press Ganey's report finished with a few suggestions for improving staff engagement. The biggest suggestion is also the simplest and least expensive: listening. Health systems can retain workers just by listening to their concerns and needs. However, once employees speak their minds, it's the organization's job to take the necessary steps to assist them. To collect this employee data, many health systems conduct surveys. But this is just half the job.
Dudley elaborated on this, saying, "It is not enough, though, to just kind of survey and feel like you've done something...I tell people, the only thing that's worse than not doing a survey is surveying and not doing anything with the data."
The report further suggested that more health systems must take accountability for improving engagement. Dudley said that organizations with the most success with staff engagement focus on improvement. "When they slip even the tiniest bit, they are so intent on finding those reasons and fixing them. So that accountability is really important," she said.
If you take anything away from Press Ganey's report, it's the importance of staff engagement. One solution that can help simplify access to work tools and streamline processes is a staff-focused mobile app.