Nursing

Pennsylvania's health department issues new White Paper with recommendations for nursing shortage

Nurse Leader Weekly, August 6, 2004

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Pennsylvania's department of health released its first-ever State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) White Paper on August 3. The report analyzes three work force issues facing healthcare workforce planners today, including student nurse recruitment and education, nurse retention in the work place, and assessment of the shortage of nurses in Pennsylvania.

Two of the reports 11 recommendations that are of particular interest to nurse managers focus on intergenerational issues and committing nurses to lifelong learning. The following is an excerpt from the White Paper, titled SHIP White Paper on the Nurse Workforce in Pennsylvania:  

7. Identify and refine strategies to recognize the impact that generational factors have in the workplace and address the factors as a way of reducing employee turnover and intergenerational tension.
* Emphasize the important role of the unit manager in integrating new nurse graduates into their first job
* Implement work place strategies that support the diverse needs of intergenerational workers, and structure motivators and rewards systems that address generational components of the workplace

8. Nursing has evolved into a multifaceted and fast-paced health profession. The rapidity of change in the health care industry demands a commitment to lifelong learning. Ability to meet these changes directly may be tied to turnover, job and career satisfaction, and patient safety.
* Assess the feasibility of developing a continuing education requirement for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practice nurses (LPNs) reflective of the increased professional demands
* Develop employer-based continuing education to support the many varied roles of RNs as team leaders, technology users, and patient educators, and provide nurses with the overall "big picture" regarding their role in assisting the organization to adapt to a changing financial environment.

To view the full 67-page report, visit: http://www.health.state.pa.us/.



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