Did you know that nurses have been named the most trusted profession in an annual Gallup rating for the 20th consecutive year? Physicians were in second place and grade-school teachers were in third place.
Nurses are regarded highly for the care they provide to their patients, their families, and one another. So, the dozen and a half nursing strikes that have taken place across the nation this year suggest that all is not well in the industry. And the pandemic is far from over.
According to one source, there have been 18 nursing strikes across the United States this year as nurses protest issues like working conditions, staffing levels, and patient care.
The Great Recession phenomenon that picked up steam during COVID-19 resulted in many people quitting their jobs in pursuit of greener pastures. That’s led to worker shortages in many industries. One of those industries is the nursing sector where the demand exceeds the supply in some markets. What this means is that many nurses are overworked.
When considering labor unrest in nursing, it’s clear that the status quo isn’t an option. What follows is a look at measures that can be taken to fix the industry’s problems.
Reasonable Work Schedules
One of the critical issues nurses across the country face is overwork. Because of staff shortages, many nurses are working 10, 12, 14, or even 16-hour shifts. When co-workers don’t show up for any of a number of reasons, nurses on the job are sometimes compelled to remain on the job. Having to work excessively long shifts can wear on anyone and lead to burnout.
Healthcare institutions can make things easier for their staff by setting reasonable work schedules. Of course, this means hiring more nurses. This might be a longer-term goal since more nurses will have to be trained and hired before healthcare institutions can be adequately staffed.
It makes sense to leverage technology to facilitate training so that to tackle the job’s responsibilities. The future is in the cloud as far as training goes. So, it makes sense to find cloud-based tools that can improve observation, research, training, and learning. Such technology can also be used to ensure that nurses’ skills remain up to date.
Higher Pay
Another concern among nurses is the pay. In fact, some nurses are looking to private agencies for higher pay and more flexibility in terms of shifts and hours. According to one source, the average annual base salary for a registered nurse in the U.S. is $93,176 with overtime of another $12,000 per year. The same source adds that salary satisfaction, based on feedback from 4,450 ratings, is 63%. A satisfactory rating of around six in 10 isn’t much to write home about. At the end of the day, healthcare institutions must ensure that the salaries match the job requirements.
Onsite Mental Health Care
The nursing industry is a stressful one. After all, nurses are surrounded by people who are suffering all day long. It can be difficult not to become overwhelmed on the job. Healthcare businesses must offer mental health resources to nurses in light of this. Mental health care should be offered onsite, and nurses should be encouraged to use such services. According to a study in 2020, nearly three in 10 nurses experienced depression. The number increased to close to four in 10 nurses the year after. In an industry where nurses can experience lots of stressful situations ranging from sickness to death, employers need to take mental health issues seriously.
The issues that plague the nursing industry won’t go away overnight. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that can be done to help to move things in the right direction.
