Nursing Shortage and Nurse Turn-Over
The term “nursing shortage” describes a situation in which there is a greater demand than available caretakers for qualified nursing practitioners, such as registered nurses. Contrarily, nurse turnover explains nursing staff members’ propensity to quit their positions voluntarily and involuntarily (Cox, Willis, & Coustasse, 2014). It is important to note that the nurse shortage and turnover negatively impact the nursing profession. The disruptions and subpar patient care brought on by the lack and turnover are particularly costly for healthcare companies (Cox, Willis & Coustasse, 2014). Both nursing leaders and managers are highly concerned about the nurse shortage and turnover. Therefore, it would be crucial in the current discussion to conduct a comparative analysis of the strategies nurse leaders and managers would use to handle the problem of nurse shortage and nurse turnover.
It is essential to recognize that nurse turnover can be either “good” or “bad,”, particularly for any business. In reality, a good turnover happens when management fires an employee, while a negative turnover happens when a well-behaved and desirable nurse decides to leave their post. As a result, the nurse turnover problem directly affects healthcare companies’ productivity and financial success. First, although the phrases “leadership” and “management” are sometimes used interchangeably, they have different connotations when used in reference to the nursing profession. According to Huber, not all nurse managers exhibit the qualities of a practical nurse leader, and nursing leaders are not always competent managers (2013). Notably, a nurse manager participates actively in decision-making processes and has a designated position in the organizational structure.
On the other hand, a leader might not hold any official positions or authority within the company (Huber, 2013). In reality, the ability of a person to influence others through communication and interpersonal skills frequently defines a leader. As a result, nurses exhibit leadership abilities at all experience levels and stages of career growth.