Workplace Stress: A Given in Healthcare?

May 11, 2010 - PRLog -- Television often perpetuates false stereotypes about the healthcare industry.  For decades, popular shows have portrayed physicians and nurses as young, beautiful people who lead glamorous lives.  They may have to pull an overnight shift here or there, or deal with the repercussions of a false diagnosis, but in general they have been perceived to lead fairly stress-free lives. This is not the case in the real world.  In fact, according to HR Solutions’ National Healthcare Normative Database, comprised of data from over 540,000 healthcare employees from over 525 organizations, only 49 percent of employees report having enough people available in their work groups to accomplish the necessary workload.  This statistic is a clear indicator of stress in the workplace.  

The stress caused from having too few employees is only expected to get worse.  According to data from the American Hospital Association, there will be an estimated shortage of 109,000 physicians by 2020, and by 2025, the shortfall of registered nurses is expected to be 260,000 full-time equivalents.  This labor shortage is due in part to the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation, who will leave empty posts as they retire.  At the same time, the aging U.S. population will require more healthcare services than ever.  Healthcare employees can only expect to become more stressed as their work groups get smaller.

“Hospitals need to take steps now to retain their staff as well as attract new employees,” said Kevin Sheridan, CEO of HR Solutions.  “Increasing staff is an excellent way to solve the problem of stress in the workplace, but more importantly organizations should focus on building job satisfaction and Employee Engagement.  Engaged Employees truly enjoy their jobs, are loyal to their organizations, and look forward to coming to work every day.  Engaged cultures are a magnet for attracting new talent and also help to retain top talent.  Building a culture of Engagement will help to decrease turnover as well as absenteeism, which will, in turn, decrease workplace stress in the healthcare industry.”

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Noted for its comprehensive research and actionable data, HR Solutions, Inc. is an International Human Capital Management Consulting Firm located in Chicago, IL, specializing in Employee Engagement and Exit Survey design, implementation, and results. For more information, please visit www.hrsolutionsinc.com, or call 312-863-6104.