Learning how to reduce turnover in the healthcare industry has become more critical than ever. According to Salary.com’s annual Pay Practices Survey, the healthcare industry has one of the highest turnover rates of 23%. The healthcare sector has seen an increase of employee turnover throughout the past five years in hospitals, clinics and other facilities.
Although there are varying factors that can contribute to high healthcare employee turnover, it’s important to look at employee engagement, or the level of connection employees feel to their workplace, as a main factor. Research shows, “Engaged healthcare employees lead to higher patient satisfaction rates, increased patient safety, and improved quality of care.”
One way employee engagement grows is through education and training opportunities. If employees are not given opportunities to continually update their skills, they are more inclined to leave.
Now more than ever, healthcare organizations need to work towards reducing employee turnover if they want to improve employee morale, increase patient satisfaction and control costs.
How To Reduce Turnover In Healthcare Starts With Morale
Improve Morale Among Existing EmployeesWhen you have a strong healthcare workforce, and comradery is apparent. You’ll see employees who are happy to come in, complete a hard day’s work, and help out their coworkers when necessary, even during the toughest times.
Whether an employee is forced to leave or leaves by choice, the existing employees are usually left with the burden of increased workloads, stress levels and worries. These factors contribute to low employee morale.
Healthcare organizations with low employee morale not only have a difficult time attracting and keeping high-quality talent, but they also witness a:
- Lack of quality patient care
- Decrease in employee productivity
- Increase the amount of conflict in the workplace
A survey conducted by The Harris Poll found that 70% of employees are likely to leave their current role for an organization known for investing in employee development and learning. Healthcare leaders who provide learning and development opportunities keep employees happy and improve morale.
Boost Healthcare Patient Satisfaction
Patient satisfaction is always top of mind for healthcare leaders. However, high healthcare employee turnover directly affects patient satisfaction in the following ways:
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Whether or not patients receive top-quality care
- The higher the healthcare employee turnover rate, the more likely errors occur due to the training of new healthcare workers and burnout among existing employees.
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Whether or not returning patients can speak to regular staff
- When patients see familiar faces (as opposed to a constant rotation of different professionals) at every visit, they feel more comfortable and confident in their healthcare providers.
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Whether or not patients have a good overall experience at a healthcare facility
- If patients need to wait long periods, the atmosphere is unsettling, or communication among employees seems off-putting, then patient satisfaction may be negatively impacted.
To increase patient satisfaction, you’ll need to focus on lowering your employee turnover rate. The more satisfied patients are, the more likely they’ll spread the word to friends and family, resulting in an increase in your organization’s positive reputation.
Control Costs
Employee retention is one of the healthcare industry’s most pressing problems, as well as one of its most expensive. It costs more money to hire and onboard new employees than it is to keep existing employees.
For example, the 2022 NSI National Healthcare Retention & RN Staffing Report states the average cost of turnover for a staff Registered Nurse is $46,100 and that each percentage change in turnover will either cost or save the average hospital $262,300 per year.
Over half of all healthcare workers who responded to a Gallup/Amazon 2021 survey say they are very or highly interested in upskilling, and over half of the respondents are likely to quit their current position for an employer who offers training or education opportunities.
The evidence is clear. Healthcare organizations that provide professional development, healthcare certifications, and leadership training keep their top talent happy and therefore face a lower impact to their budget.
Offer Educational Opportunities to Reduce Employee Turnover
A certain amount of employee turnover is healthy, but if your healthcare organization is losing great employees more often than not — it’s time to try a new approach.
Providing educational and professional development opportunities strengthens employee engagement, ultimately leading to a healthier workplace where employees:
- Feel thought about and appreciated
- Stay loyal to their organization due to future growth opportunities
- Provide the best care to patients due to improved technology and people skills
- Spread the word to friends and family about the great organization they work for
Emerge Education has partnered with industry experts to give you access to a customizable catalog of entry-level and job-growth program offerings in fields like healthcare, information technology, and professional development.
Maximize your overall ROI by contacting Lauren Holubec, Ed.D., our Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, for a consultation or visit our healthcare page for more information.
Lauren Holubec, Ed.D.
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