Creativity helps healthcare facilities recruit

The big news in Michigan is nursing. From hospitals to home healthcare facilities, nurses, especially registered nurses, are in demand. Some of the areas that are experiencing the greatest deficiency are emergency rooms, critical care and specialty units. Carol Feuss, director of communications and integrated marketing for the Michigan Nurses Association in Okemos, says the need is widespread. "There are 65 health systems across the state," she shares, "and there's not one that would say they don't have a staffing shortage."

For many hospitals and healthcare facilities in Michigan, attracting nurses to their organizations has become key. Many are turning to signing bonuses and flexible scheduling to bring professionals their way. However, perhaps even more important for these institutions is learning how to keep the nurses once they've been hired. "There are two prongs - recruiting and retention," Feuss explains. "Hospitals are losing good workers because of the work environment." The big issues are mandatory overtime and salaries. Another is the amount of input these professionals have regarding their workplaces. "The catch phrase is 'A voice in the health system,' " Feuss notes. "Nurses are there 24 hours, seven days a week. They have good ideas but they have no say."

Because the average age of nurses tends to be middle-aged, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are trying to get more people interested in the profession. Julie Canham, director of staffing education for Michigan Visiting Nurses in Ann Arbor, says that individuals aren't pursuing nursing for the same reasons many aren't staying with it as a career. "Wage has something to do with it," Canham says. "It's not typically a highly paid profession. It requires many hours and heavy-duty work." The younger generation in particular is looking to other opportunities. "People aren't going into nursing. The labor pool is getting older. Young people are not as interested in doing bedside nursing."

Hospitals are trying various approaches to recruit more candidates. Linda Kruso, manager for employees and employee relations at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, says her facility is utilizing a wide range of methods. "We use job fairs, schools, Web sites, sign-on bonuses, refer a friend - pretty much everything you can to attract people," Kruso explains. The state has also stepped in with a mentoring program that pairs healthcare professionals with kids. By connecting with a younger generation, area officials hope to avoid a major staffing crisis in the years to come.

A more immediate solution to America's nursing issues may lie beyond U.S. borders. Michael Jagels, administrator of human resources at Crittenton Hospital in Rochester, has been trying to recruit nurses out of Canada. But Jagels and his facility have also been working hard to keep the nurses they already have. "An overriding issue is mandatory overtime because of the staffing shortage," Jagels explains. "In February, we committed to eliminating mandatory overtime."

For many nurses and other healthcare professionals, flexible schedules and the ability to have a life outside of work are important. Lauren Hill, human resources director at McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint, believes those are the main reasons hospitals are having a difficult time recruiting and retaining people. "There is a lot more competition drawing away people who would normally go into or stay in healthcare," Hill shares. "Working conditions are more stressful because of the staffing shortage. Many people are finding they can go into another career that pays them well and gives them balance in life."

Although the nursing shortage is receiving most of the attention, other areas of need for Michigan hospitals include laboratory assistants, radiology technologists and physical and occupational therapists. And staffing issues aren't the only problems facing medical facilities. According to the 2001 Michigan Hospital Report released by the Michigan Health and Hospital Association in Lansing, the state's nonprofit institutions will continue to struggle with their payments and operating margins. The challenges have been caused in great part by deep state and federal cuts in Medicaid and Medicare, as well as skyrocketing pharmaceutical costs. Hospital closures, consolidations and mergers that took place from 1994 to 1999 have resulted in a 14.2 percent decline in the number of community hospitals in the state. Another report, The Declining State of Michigan Hospitals, found that staffing figures have also taken a hit, as about 10,000 hospital workers lost their jobs in 2000. Most of the cuts were made in areas such as building maintenance, support staff, management and administration.