'' A well-motivated healthcare workforce is key to
meeting the continuous and changing demand of
healthcare services ”
Buchan J. Planning for change: developing a policy framework for nursing labour markets. International Nursing Review. 2000
Burnout, low retention, sickness rates, an inability to attract new talent, and the increasing reliance on agencies are having a profound impact on staff, hospital finances and patient care.
The current staffing shortages are causing work overload for those still in service, which invariably leads to more burnout and with staff leaving the sector, is adversely impacting quality of care. Effective, efficient and good quality healthcare cannot be provided unless organisations take the issue of healthcare employee motivation seriously. (Afolabi et al, 2018)
Mental Health
Healthcare personnel tend to hide difficulties and challenges due to the perceived stigma associated with mental illness and the fear of the impact on their careers.
25%
High Anxiety
25%
Enduring Depression
40%
Sleep Disorders
Burnout
The torment of difficult decisions, having to work longer hours and more shifts, the pain of losing patients and colleagues, and the risk of infection for themselves and their families have caused unprecedented levels of anxiety and burnout.
55%
Experiencing Burnout
$44K
Average Cost of Turnover
$5m
Annual Cost to Hospital
The Great Resignation
The Great Resignation—the mass exodus of unsatisfied personnel—has hit few industries harder than healthcare.
55%
Considering leaving their jobs
4.5m
Quit their jobs in 2021
-20%
Loss in workforce
The Problem
Patient goodwill and appreciation have historically been underestimated.
Despite the majority of people feeling appreciative of their care, we identified no direct and effective means for Patients and their families to directly appreciate their carers. Some of us may take to social media to show appreciation or thank the administration. These gestures are lost in a sea of posts, fail to reach the individuals or are never seen at all, resulting in limited or no impact on those they are intended for—also, those behind the scenes often go unnoticed.
The primary aim of healthcare personnel is to care for and keep us safe. This often conflicts with the reality of the work, but they love what they do.
The pandemic has caused foundational changes in human behaviour. People have developed a new awareness, prompting them to demand more personal value and purpose from life and work. Although historically, the healthcare sector has offered Staff this sense of purpose, the past few years have highlighted that loving your job is not enough when burnout, low morale and mental health issues are at an all-time high. There is mounting pressure on organisations to act and prevent unsustainable performance, increasing sickness rates, resignations, unprecedented staffing shortages and cost increases.