Literature Review

New York’s home health, personal care workforce achieves fastest growth in nation: BLS McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 4/10/24 New York is adding home health and personal care jobs faster than any other state, growing its supply of such workers by 12% between May 2022 and May 2023, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state added roughly 62,000 home health and personal care aides during that time period, which was more than double that of any other state and accounted for over one third of nationwide home care aide employment growth, according to an analysis by the Empire Center, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank based in New York. 

PeaceHealth nurses announce plan to picket outside hospital April 18 The Columbian, by Chrissy Booker; 4/10/24 Nurses at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver will picket outside the hospital April 18. ... The bargaining unit, which includes 1,465 nurses, is negotiating with the hospital for a new three-year contract. According to a news release from the union, “management has not agreed to the association’s proposed workplace protections, staffing commitments or market-rate wages.” PeaceHealth countered that its proposals have been “highly competitive.”

Fraudsters sentenced in scheme that distributed 7,600 phony nursing diplomas McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 4/8/24Three individuals were sentenced for their role in distributing fraudulent diplomas and transcripts to thousands of nursing students in Florida, New York and New Jersey, the US Attorney’s Office disclosed last week. The registrar of Palm Beach School of Nursing in Lake Worth, FL, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $861,672. The owner and operator of Success Nursing Review in Brooklyn, NY, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, fined $20,000 and ordered to forfeit $4,698,828.

Top factors in nurses ending health care employment between 2018 and 2021 JAMA Network; by K. Jane Muir, PhD, RN, FNP-BC; Joshua Porat-Dahlerbruch, PhD, RN; Jacqueline Nikpour, PhD, RN; et al; 5/9/24Question: Why did nurses leave health care employment from 2018 to 2021?Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 7887 nurses who were employed in a non–health care job, not currently employed, or retired, the top contributing factors for leaving health care employment were planned retirement (39% of nurses), burnout (26%), insufficient staffing (21%), and family obligations (18%). Age distributions of nurses not employed in health care were similar to nurses currently employed in health care.

Frontline burnout in healthcare: A growing crisis demands action MedCity News, by Russ Richmond; 4/4/24Implementing diverse and sustained strategies to empower frontline workers should be the cornerstone of any modern healthcare workforce management program. The healthcare industry faces a critical challenge: rampant burnout among its workforce. Recent data paints a concerning picture: 46% of healthcare workers report feeling burned out (CDC), and 41% of nurses in direct patient care roles are considering leaving their roles (McKinsey). These numbers – significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels – point towards systemic issues demanding immediate attention.

Optimizing RN responsibilities ‘more essential’ than staffing hours: study McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 4/2/24 ... [New] analysis suggests that optimizing the role of registered nurses would be an even more effective way of increasing quality of care. Care quality would strongly benefit from an industry-wide focus on the responsibilities of RNs, the study’s authors said. Specifically, leaders should more actively differentiate RNs from licensed practical nurses, use a nursing practice model framework to maximize the role of RNs and provide RNs with more education in leadership and geriatric care.

The operational advantages of hiring seniors to provide home care Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 4/1/24Seniors Helping Seniors has long distinguished itself from other home care companies by hiring active seniors to serve as caregivers. Josh Obeiter — an owner of one of the company’s franchise locations — has seen even more added value from this strategy as the industry at large combats labor shortages. At Seniors Helping Seniors, the average age of an employee is around 70 years old, and 80% of caregivers are in their 60s and 70s, according to Obeiter.

RNs are moving away from home health and hospice, federal survey reveals McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 4/2/24 Though the number of registered nurses continues to grow, fewer are working in home healthcare and hospice compared to years past, according to the latest national sample survey collected by the Health Resources & Services Administration. In 2018, there were 179,509 RNs working in home health and hospice, representing about 6% of the nursing workforce, according to an earlier national survey. HRSA’s latest count estimated that there were 173,808 RNs in home health and hospice in 2022, or only 5% of the workforce. 

Nursa Survey finds 98% of hospital CFOs view nurse staffing as top challenge Morningstar, provided by Business Wire; 4/2/24Survey results offer insight into C-suite perspectives on workforce trends and financial impact. Nursa, a nationwide platform that exists to put a nurse at the bedside of every patient in need, today released the results of a survey with healthcare decision-makers that examines their perspectives on the evolving social contract of employment, opinions on the 1099 workforce, and reflections on what makes a nurse truly valuable to an organization. Key findings from the survey include:

Northwell hospital nurses cancel strike Becker's Hospital Review, by Kelly Gooch; 4/1/24Members of the New York State Nurses Association have called off a planned April 2 strike at New York City-based Staten Island University Hospital after reaching a tentative agreement with management on a new labor contract. The union represents 1,300 workers at the facility. ... SIUH is part of New Hyde Park, NY-based Northwell Health, a 21-hospital system with more than 85,000 employees total. ... The agreement "adds nurse staffing on units that need help"; includes an expedited process for creating staffing standards in new units; and features wage increases that total 22.12% over three years and include annual pay increases, market adjustment pay, and experience pay, the union said.

As home care workers unionize, key questions come into play for providers Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 3/29/24 Generally, employers aren’t thrilled at the idea of their workforces unionizing. In home-based care, that’s particularly the case.

MultiCare healthcare workers in Spokane might go on strike NBC KHQ - NonStop Local, by Laura Erickson; 3/28/24Over 1,400 healthcare workers at MultiCare Deaconess and Valley Hospitals plan to strike for seven days beginning April 7, denouncing what they’re calling “bad faith bargaining” from institution executives in response to short staffing crises in their hospitals. The SEIU Healthcare 1199NW union consists of over 33,000 caregivers throughout hospitals, clinics, mental health, skilled home health and hospice programs in Washington and Montana.

Connecticut Appellate Court rules employer could discharge medical marijuana user impaired on the job The National Law Review; by John G. Stretton, Nicole S. Mulé, Zachary V. Zagger of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.; 3/27/24 On March 19, 2024, the Connecticut Appellate Court upheld an employer’s right to discharge an employee for being impaired on the job from medical marijuana under a state law that provides employment protections for qualified medical marijuana users.