Literature Review

Virginia lawmakers push richer employer-provided benefits to workerThe Center Square, by Morgan Sweeney; 1/30/24Calling her state and America behind "the entire industrialized world," a Virginia senator is one of two lawmakers pushing legislation to implement an employer-provided benefit to workers. ... The program would guarantee that employees taking time off for the birth of a child or “an illness, injury, impairment ... or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility or continuing treatment by a health care provider” would continue to receive 80% of their paycheck for up to 12 weeks of leave. 

Recommendations for supporting healthcare workers' psychological well-being: Lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemicHealthc Manage Forum, by Melissa B Korman, Lisa Di Prospero, Tracey DasGupta, Mark Sinyor, Samantha J Anthony, Monika Kastner, Janet Ellis, Rosalie Steinberg, Robert Maunder; 1/30/24 Healthcare workers are at risk of adverse mental health outcomes due to occupational stress. Many organizations introduced initiatives to proactively support staff's psychological well-being in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, ... [such as] the STEADY wellness program, ... in a large trauma centre in Toronto, Canada. Program implementors engaged teams in peer support sessions, psychoeducation workshops, critical incident stress debriefing, and community-building initiatives. ... [This] article describes recommendations for future hospital wellness programs.

Health care workers kept leaving the industry after pandemic: study Axios, by Tina Reed, 1/29/24There's been a "substantial and persistent" increase in health care workers leaving the industry since the pandemic, as staff who stayed on during the worst of COVID-19 leave for new opportunities in a robust jobs market, according to a new study in JAMA Health Forum. ... Details: The Johns Hopkins-led study, based on Census data from the beginning of 2018 through the end of 2021, found a disproportionate number of women and Black workers exiting the health industry.

How AccentCare is using communication, career development to address caregiver burnoutHome Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 1/28/24As the home-based care industry continues to evolve, enhancing the well-being of employees and addressing caregiver burnout remains a top priority for providers. It’s not uncommon for caregivers to experience moments of feeling unsupported or undervalued. That can often lead to a sense of disconnection within the company from the bottom to the top. To help that disconnect, providers like AccentCare have focused on retention initiatives that are based around communication within the organization.

Masonic Village Elizabethtown hosts hiring event to combat nurse shortageFox43 WPMT, by Cyera Williams; 1/24/24According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the U.S. is projected to experience a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows. Masonic Village at Elizabethtown is combatting that shortage by hosting a nursing service hiring event ... 

Healthcare ranks second among industries with workers frustrated by low pay: survey McKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 1/19/24Healthcare workers rank second among those frustrated about their industry’s pay, according to a recent analysis from USA Today Blueprint. ... The research included 3 million Glassdoor reviews of 500 large employers in 25 industries. ... Only workers in the education field are less satisfied with their pay than are workers in healthcare, according to the findings.

Home-based leaders are focusing on culture, creative benefits to mitigate staffing challengesHome Healthcare News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/16/24One of Accurate Home Care’s biggest strategies for combating the nursing shortage is positioning the company as the employer of choice and focusing on culture. ... “We have to focus heavily on culture, and we have to focus heavily on purpose, and try to attract those who have a heart for home care, and the money is secondary to them,” [Bill] English said [president and CEO of Accurate Home Care]. “Those are the nurses that we went after. Today, we were voted as one of the top 200 workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune.”

Survey shows 2024 to be a "Year of Efficiency" for Care at Home OrganizationsHomeCare News; 1/16/24To improve their bottom line and operations, care-at-home organizations plan to focus on shoring up operational processes and how they manage staffing and scheduling, according to the just-released 2024 Industry Trends Report. ... The focus on having more efficient operations was reflected in the top concerns from respondents: staffing, and addressing the changing payment dynamics and new regulations and oversight in the care at-home industry.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility ProgramU.S. Department of Health and Human Services website; ongoing key referenceThe Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion (EEODI) is within the Assistant Secretary for Administration’s (ASA) office and its mission is to promote, encourage, develop, and maintain a culture of equality, fairness, and objectivity throughout HHS.

Best healthcare jobs in 2024: US newsBecker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayser; 1/9/24U.S. News & World Report has ranked the top 26 jobs in the healthcare industry, encompassing some of America's top-paying jobs with high growth potential. [Of note: #1 Nurse practitioner. #2 Physician assistant.] 

Labor Department issues independent contractor final ruleMcKnights Senior Living, by Lois Bowers; 1/9/24Acting Labor Secretary Julie SuThe Department of Labor this morning issued a final rule that will change how senior living companies and other employers determine who is an employee and who is an independent contractor. The rule is effective March 11. “The misclassification of employees as independent contractors may deny workers minimum wage, overtime pay and other protections,” the Labor Department said in an online post. “This final rule will reduce the risk that employees are misclassified as independent contractors while providing a consistent approach for businesses that engage with individuals who are in business for themselves.”Editor's Note: Click here for the final rule.

Sleep pods, coffee bars, and coworking spaces: Hospital staff lounges get a makeoverHealthcare Brew, by Shannon Young; 12/7/23Health systems are looking at how they can better attract, retain, and support staff with respite spaces. Picture this: a large coworking environment with collaboration areas, cappuccino bars, and programmable spaces. No, it’s not a Silicon Valley startup, a student union, or even a swanky airport lounge. It’s the next generation of hospital employee break rooms. After years of optimizing hospital spaces to focus on the patient experience, more health systems are looking at how they can better attract, retain, and support staff, Mike Pukszta, codirector of CannonDesign’s global health practice, told Healthcare Brew.Editor's Note: Consider implications for today's hospice staffing. Office-based leaders, have you ever spent a day with a team member making visit after visit? While you want staff out in the field, do they have a home base where they can easily collaborate, eat, communicate with each other? Seek feedback and consider adjustments that can make a big difference in employee satisfaction and well-being.