|
 Recruitment and retention of a
diverse workforce: challenges and opportunities.
The
field of nursing is already grappling with labor shortages and a lack
of diversity, and it may serve as a model for diversity-friendly
recruitment and retention initiatives. According to the General
Accountability Office (2001), 40 percent of all registered nurses will
be age 50 or older by 2010. But in 2001, the pipeline of future nurses
remained relatively homogenous relative to race and gender, with 75
percent of prospective nurses reporting non-Hispanic white ethnicity
and 91 percent female (Simpson 2004). Targeted formal and informal
recruitment as well as monetary and nonmonetary rewards are now being used in
nursing to increase gender and racial diversity and to improve
retention. For example, to counter gender-based views of the profession
and attract male nurses, some organizations depict the more rugged side
of nursing, showcasing nursing in emergency and trauma units. Further,
monetary and nonmonetary rewards such as occupational growth ladders,
competitive compensation, and better working conditions are used to
attract diverse talent (Simpson 2004).
Organizations that
attract and retain a diverse nursing staff and create a climate in
which veteran nurses can transfer their knowledge to neophytes, while
maintaining or exceeding previous levels of quality, have' important
lessons for healthcare as a whole. The key is for organizations to
create a culture of mutual respect, promote the full participation of
all workers, regardless of their rank or identity groups, and reward
excellence.
by Myers, Valerie L. & Dreachslin, Janice L. Journal of Healthcare Management |
