With nurses being a vital component of patient outcome, it’s critical that hospital management have an engagement strategy in place for permanent employees. And with 65% of U.S. healthcare employers optimizing their workforce through contract, contingent, and travel nurses, it’s important to set a plan in motion to engage these employees as well.
7.4% of registered nurses are disengaged from their jobs compared to 4.8% for LPNs, 5.8% for PCAs, and 6.1% for MDs, according to a report by Katherine Virkstis, ND, Practice Manager for The Advisory Board in Washington, DC. Virkstis reviewed more than 300,000 individual responses from 250 U.S. healthcare organizations.
Engagement Strategies for Travel Nurses
Employee engagement strategies are little trickier when dealing with travel nurses because of the short duration of most assignments. But it is achievable if engagement begins on the very first day of the travel assignment. Much of it is identical to permanent engagement strategies including:
- The definition of clear and measurable employee goals and objectives during the onboarding process.
- An understanding of the employee’s career goals and interests.
- Scheduled performance feedback.
- Mentorship or work-buddy programs.
- Special projects and assignments geared toward their goals and interests.
- Consideration as part of the team and communication toward that goal – avoid treating them like outsiders.
- The recognition of achievements and work excellence.
- A culture of collaboration – Include your contingent workforce in decision-making.
- Invite them to employee social events.
Contingent staffing continues to grow as hospitals work to optimize their staffing based on census fluctuations and patient acuity. The challenges of contingent workforce management are to manage the growing cost for this resource, gain greater visibility into the contingent workforce, better manage a blended workforce, and comply with federal and state regulatory agencies.
The Stay Staffed Vendor Management System and the Candidate Direct Marketplace work synergistically to manage every aspect of contingent workforce management. Contact us now for 30-minute online demonstration of our vendor management software and see firsthand how your healthcare organization can save!
