Staffing in nursing home facilities is one of the most persistent challenges in healthcare.
As a Director of Nursing, it's something I've faced time and again.
It’s not a new problem, yet here we are, still grappling with the same issues, all while trying to provide the quality care our residents require.
In my book, Welcome to Long Term Care, I have a chapter called "Staffing: A Fucking Nightmare," and for good reason.
I vividly remember the days when I had to bargain with my staff to work long hours, often at the expense of their well-being.
Looking back, I realize I was asking them to neglect themselves to care for others. It’s funny how we do that without even thinking about it.
It was like robbing Peter to pay Paul, Patty, and even the twins. Yes, that’s right—I had to add the twins because that’s how dire the staffing situation had become.
Imagine going from having six CNAs to just three to care for over 50 residents on a unit.
It was rough, to say the least. I even found myself stepping in as a CNA, and all I could think was, “As long as all the ass cracks are covered, we’re doing okay.”
LOL. With numbers like that, I needed to make sure residents were clean and safe.
That experience gave me a deep appreciation for the role of CNAs.
Fast forward to my role as a leader, and I had to ask them to continue giving great care despite low staffing numbers.
The math just wasn’t mathing, and in many cases, it still isn’t.
Throwing more money at the problem isn’t the solution. We could raise wages all day long, but if we don’t address the underlying issues, we’ll find ourselves back in the same situation.
So, what can we do to combat these staffing challenges?
One critical area is onboarding.
I recently did a YouTube video discussing the importance and cost of onboarding, and what I’ve found is that employees are more likely to stay if they are properly onboarded.
Proper onboarding means providing the necessary education, evaluations, and support right from the start.
Why do so many of our new hires not make it past 90 days?
The reasons can be many, but our role as leaders is to get to the root of the issue so we can correct it and improve.
I’m a firm believer in conducting evaluations at 30, 60, and 90 days after hire, and then annually.
These evaluations provide an opportunity for feedback from both the employee and the leadership team.
It’s also essential to assign a mentor or contact person from administration and someone with the same position to guide the new hire.
This support system helps them integrate into the team and feel valued from day one.
Investing time and resources in the onboarding process is crucial. It’s costly to have a revolving door of new hires.
For the employees who have been with us, we must do whatever we can to retain them.
Their experience and dedication are invaluable, and they deserve our support and recognition.
In conclusion, while staffing in nursing homes is an ongoing challenge, effective onboarding can make a significant difference.
By investing in our employees from the start, we can create a more stable and supportive environment that not only benefits the staff but also ensures the highest quality of care for our residents.
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