The increasing turnover of nurses in hospitals is one of the major problems that policy-makers and administrators because many medical institutions are significantly understaffed (Hauch, Griffin, & Fitzpatrick, 2011, p. 269). As a result, these organizations cannot ensure the highest quality of patient care. In the future, this shortage can become even more acute, and its impact can be very dangerous. This paper is aimed at discussing the strategies that leaders and managers should adopt in order to address this issue. One can say that these professionals can play a critical role in addressing this issue. It is possible to argue that that this problem requires the approach that combines the actions of leaders and managers who should focus on the experiences of nurses in the workplace.
Many nurses choose to leave because they are not satisfied with work environment existing in many hospitals. First, it should be noted that the problem of high turnover can be viewed from different standpoints. For example, this issue can be discussed from a managerial perspective which is important for various organizations, including medical institutions. Overall, the role of a manager is to make sure that employees can fully understand their responsibilities and cope with their responsibilities. Furthermore, they are supposed to explain what kind of expectations organizations set and how workers can meet these expectations (Moyles, 2006, p. 1). One should note that these goals are not achieved by managers who work in medical institutions. For example, many nurses report that their duties are not properly formulated (Perrewe, 2011, p. 274). In other words, they suffer from role ambiguity. Moreover, they complain of continuous stress in the workplace. Managers can adopt different strategies in order to reduce turnover. For example, they can implement an open-door policy within a hospital. This means that nurses or other employees can enter into the office of a manager almost at any time to clarify work-related questions (Lefton, 2007, p. 14). This is one of the steps that can be taken. Apart from that, managers should pay attention to the exchange of information within an organization. For instance, they can organize workouts for employees. In this case, the term workout can be viewed as a meeting during which employees and administrators discuss various workplace problems (Haeuser & Preston, 2005, p. 17). Such activities are important for avoiding role ambiguity. Furthermore, managers can start orientation programs for new nurses because these people find it very difficult to overcome stress, especially at the beginning of their career. This is one set of strategies that can be adopted by managers working in medical organizations.
Furthermore, the problem of increasing turnover can be examined from the standpoint of leadership. One can say that the task of a leader is to promote long-term development of an organization and professional growth of employees. They should also inspire workers to achieve better results (Perrewe, 2011, p. 274). These are the tasks that leaders are responsible for. The researchers, who study the cause of turnover in hospitals, believe that the decision to leave can be explained by the lack of leadership support. In particular, many nurses feel that they are not sufficiently empowered by their superiors (Hauch, Griffin, & Fitzpatrick, 2011). In other words, they cannot take actions without the permission of the authorities. Furthermore, they believe that they have few opportunities for professional development. These factors should not be overlooked by leaders who should make employees committed and motivated. First of all, leaders can delegate some of their authorities to nurse who cannot always be supervised by managers. So, leaders can emphasize empowerment of medial workers. In this way, they can significantly improve the experience of nurses in the workplace.
Furthermore, leaders can implement strategies that are supposed to affect the motivation of employees and their commitment. In particular, they can do it by implementing performance assessment systems that take into account the individual contribution of every nurse. The main goal of this strategy is to show that the work of employees is valued by employees. This is one of the steps that leaders can take. Secondly, they can increase nurses’ commitment by giving promotion to people who best meet workplace requirements. These are some of the strategies that can be implemented by leaders.
Overall, this comparison suggests that managers and leaders take different approaches to such an issue as turnover. Managers will focus primarily on the activities of employees and ways of facilitating their work. They will make sure that nurses can effectively perform their duties without suffering from stress, workload, or role ambiguity. In other words, these professionals will focus on the specific tasks of managers. In contrast, leaders will pay more attention to the experiences of employees, their commitment, and inspiration. Their main strategy will help nurses feel an inseparable part of an organization. This is the main difference between the actions of leaders and managers.
When choosing a particular approach I will first consider nursing philosophy because it will guide my policies and relationships with patients or colleagues. On the whole, my nursing philosophy places emphasis on the wellbeing of patients. It should be the top priority for nurses and administrators who must ensure the effective work of hospitals. In my opinion, the most optimal approach should combine the strategies of leaders and managers. First of all, I would advocate the adoption of open-door policies and regular workouts in medical institutions because nurses should feel free to communicate with their superiors. This strategy is critical for addressing a great number of workplace issues. Additionally, it is necessary to focus on orientation programs so that young nurses can better adjust themselves to the requirements of managers. These methods are vital for the retention of nurses. Finally, my approach would emphasize the empowerment of workers. They should be obliged to ask permission of the authorities. The adoption of this approach is important for reducing the turnover of nurses in medical organizations. The main strength of this model is that it incorporates the elements of management and leadership.
This discussion suggests that the high turnover of nurses can be attributed to several factors such as excessive workload, lack of support and empowerment, and inability to communicate with their superiors. The proposed approach can help nurses overcome many of the challenges that they face in the workplace. It integrates the principles of leadership and management, and it can improve the experiences of medical workers, especially nurses. However, this policy can be successful provided that healthcare organizations can give sufficient compensation to nurses. This is one of the main points that should be taken into account by policy-makers.
References
Haeuser, J., & Preston, P. (2005) Communication Strategies for Getting the Results You Want. Healthcare Executive, 22(2), 17-20.
Hauch, A., Griffin, M., & Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2011). Structural empowerment and anticipated turnover among critical care nurses. Journal Of Nursing Management, 19(2), 269-276.
Lefton, C. (2007). Improve your environment through communication and change. Nursing Management, 34(2), 13-15.
Moyles, J. (2006). Effective Leadership and Management in the Early Years. New York: McGraw-Hill International.
Perrewe, P. (2011). The Role of Individual Differences in Occupational Stress and Well Being. London: Emerald Group Publishing.