* This infographic is part of the Flexible Nursing and Allied Health Workforce series.
Text from the infographic
The Nontraditional Answer to Nursing Workforce Flexibility
Workforce flexibility has become a critical demand for nurses of all skill levels and age groups. Nontraditional staffing helps ensure proper staff ratios and engaged healthcare professionals.
- Retaining and attracting talented caregivers is a business imperative. -- Nationwide shortage of 450,000 nurses by 2025
- Nursing turnover has reached critical levels. -- The average cost of RN turnover was $40K per nurse. RN nursing turnover rates of more than 25% in 2021*
5 Paths to Retention and Sustainable Workforce Flexibility
Alternative sites give nurses an opportunity to gain experience and new perspectives
Increased job satisfaction for healthcare professionals and less burnout. Patient and family satisfaction also increased from the continuity of care.
Float positions or pools provide more worker and organizational flexibility
Roles beyond a standard shift give nurses and allied professionals more control over their lives to plan off time and feel supported in their personal growth. Nontraditional shifts also help leaders better plan operational budgets while possibly decreasing the number of part-time or PRN staff.
Health Carousel’s work-study programs upskill nursing talent while meeting patient needs
Health Carousel pays for the education of nurse alumni from the PassportUSA program to earn advanced nursing degrees while they’re working a required 36 hours per week (average). Includes RN to BSN through to MSN, DNP, and NP.
Nursing leader roles help to keep veteran nurses on the job without being at the bedside
Patients can benefit from remote monitoring or education. Coworkers focus less on unnecessary, but unrelated to patient care tasks. Leaders will benefit from streamlined processes and collective knowledge.
Role flexibility leads to better scheduling and coverage
Creating flex roles with a clear understanding of department or specialty responsibilities makes it easier to cover acute and chronic shortage areas – ideal for covering short-term leaves and filling targeted openings.
*Statistics from Advisory Board studies.
