A recent study by Nursing Solutions, Inc. found that the turnover rate for bedside RNs was higher in 2014 than in any of the past five years. Their study indicated an improving economy parallels the increase in turnover for RNs.
Their study examined turnover by specialty and discovered the highest rate of turnover existing in the behavioral health area, followed by the emergency department and med/surg.
Their RN Recruitment Difficulty Index averaged 85 days, which continues to pose strategic hurdles for HR departments.
One area that healthcare providers have been slow to embrace is “cross-training” for the purposes of minimizing overtime within the organization. The main reason this philosophy has been slow to gain traction in healthcare is the myriad of credential requirements for RNs working in Joint Commission required facilities.
Today employee matching software if readily available that can scour an organization for “hidden” personnel assets that can be deployed to minimize overtime spend. When examining the skill sets of ALL employees, most organizations find that there is an under-utilization of human resources that are already on the payroll! The two keys to maximizing this lower cost alternative to overtime is instantaneous communication to all matches, and of course matching the multiple skill sets of employees to emerging needs. BlueSky has been a pioneer in making this technological advances in the healthcare HR space.