Why Meaningful Recognition and Gratitude Are Important in Addressing Staffing Shortages

摘要

Health care is at a crossroads, and staffing shortages are impacting access to and the provision of care. Never before has our profession seen these types of critical shortages. Amid the ongoing impact of the pandemic, stressful health care environments exacerbating compassion fatigue, and historic and ongoing problems with staffing, nurses are experiencing high levels of burnout. More than half of physicians and nurses have admitted experiencing severe burnout. Burnout is defined by the Greater Good website as "a complex state generally defined by exhaustion, cynicism, a callous attitude toward others, and a diminished ability to be effective in our jobs and relationships." Not only does burnout impact individual health professionals, it can also impact how they provide care to their patients. You cannot support others when your cup is empty. Staff then become depleted of their compassion for their patients, and compassion fatigue increases. Burnout can also result in depression; staff are disengaging and looking for jobs that are not in direct care. Hospital turnover is at an all-time high, as noted in the NSI Solutions 2022 Recruitment and Retention Report. The report states that nursing turnover increased 6.4% from 2021 to 2022 and was as high as 25.9%. The high level of staff turnover has been termed the "Great Resignation," and now there is discussion about "quiet quitting," defined on the Gallup website as "not going above and beyond at work and just meeting their job description." Staffing shortages are also seriously impacting workplaces though the loss of staff with expert competencies who are replaced with novice nurses. It is important that hospital leaders provide meaningful recognition and gratitude to show employees how important they are to the organization and how appreciated they are for what they do every day. Examples of initatives at some institutions to address burnout and implement meaningful recognition will be described below. This list is not inclusive; many employers are attempting to show their gratitude to address burnout.