When the compounded variables of economy in flux, boomers extending their careers, a supply of new nurses just out of school looking for jobs, and an increase in demand for healthcare services from Healthcare Reform, what’s a workforce planner in healthcare to do? One suggestion Ed O’Neil has is cross-training health care professionals to meet the current demand; we’ve seen this work well in other industry sectors. Organizations that offer career development to cross-train into other allied health care roles will have an advantage and so will their talent. With the interim ups and downs in staffing needs, any and all things organizations can do to prepare for the patient tsunami of 2014 when universal health coverage is in effect, will be needed. That includes flex time for work-life balance, and engaging clinical staff (when they don’t need to be face-to-face with patients) in cross-functional process improvement and planning initiatives. The organizations that take care of healthcare talent in these kinds of ways now will build loyalty and retention, not to mention patient satisfaction. What is your organization doing to take care of healthcare talent?
photo courtesy of natassia a. davis