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Researchers Offer Action Plan to Strengthen the Nursing Workforce
While improvements have been made, hospitals and others concerned with the nursing shortage must stay focused on building healthy and positive workplaces, say the authors of an article in the January/February 2006 issue of Nursing Economic$. Peter Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN, and co-authors stress that existing problems with the nursing workforce must be overcome in order to continue providing high-quality, safe patient care. In this final article in a six-part series, the authors recommend policymakers, employers and those in the nursing profession strengthen and prepare the workforce to meet the challenges that lie ahead.

The authors suggest specific actions addressing obstacles previously identified in their survey results. To fix problems associated with a negative workplace climate, Buerhaus and co-authors recommend employers conduct staff surveys to better understand nurses’ perceptions of their jobs and work environment, and make changes based on the results. The authors also suggest hospitals measure and improve the contributions of nursing in patient quality and safety initiatives. Organizations can accomplish this by assessing these important aspects of care and sharing results to improve care and build teamwork.

Other strategies discussed in the article include fixing problems restricting the capacity of nursing education programs; promoting a balanced and professional image of nursing; improving diversity of the workforce; and recognizing that positive changes in the workforce are possible.

Throughout the series, Buerhaus and co-authors have described how surveyed nurses feel workforce conditions have improved since 2002, when the nursing shortage was at its peak. But the nursing profession still faces fundamental issues related to education, supply, diversity, professional image and quality. The authors say it will be critical for future patient care that nurses at all levels participate in society-driven actions to assure a well-prepared and adequately-sized nursing workforce.

Managers, Administrators Should Provide Empowerment Opportunities to Retain Employees
Nurses’ intent to stay within an organization relates to their access to such empowerment structures as opportunity, resources and support. In a study presented in the January/February 2006 issue of Nursing Economic$, Nicole Nedd, EdD, ARNP, reports that managers and administrators can control nurse perceptions of their access to empowerment structures by offering positive organizational structures. This continuing education (CE) article is the first in a regular CE series appearing in Nursing Economic$ and offering nurse administrators a convenient opportunity to earn valuable CE credit.

In light of the current and continuing nursing shortage, administrators and nurse managers must design retention programs that empower employees, says Nedd. Providing empowerment structures, making them accessible and ensuring nurses view them as accessible is within nurse managers and administrators realm of influence.

Nedd recommends administrators assess employee perceptions of access to workplace empowerment to identify issues related to nurses’ intent to stay. Based on this information, administrators can develop the organizational structures (such as opportunity or resources) that are needed to create empowering work environments. One example Nedd offers for granting access to opportunity is allowing nurses a chance to contribute to work groups, task forces and committees. Nurses can also serve as resources by becoming involved in decision-making regarding supplies and equipment for the unit. These measures, Nedd says, focus on the need to concentrate retention efforts on variables that can be changed.