Addressing nurse retention with healthcare worker safety

High turnover among healthcare workers is an increasingly common phenomenon in hospitals worldwide, especially in intensive care units.¹ According to the World Health Organisation, the healthcare workforce shortage is projected to reach 4.1 million in the EU-28 by 2030.²

Healthcare workers, and nurses in particular, face a wide range of hazards in the workplace,³ and it is imperative to keep them protected and empowered so we can secure uninterrupted, resilient patient care in the future.

Learn more about the factors that impact nurse retention, and how you can implement greater healthcare worker safety to help retain staff.

Healthcare worker safety hazards

In 2017, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare and social assistance industries were already reporting more injury and illness cases than other private industry sectors in the United States.³ In the same study, nursing assistants reported the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders out of all occupations.³

Nurses risk exposure to bloodborne pathogens, hazardous drugs and radiation as well as psychological and ergonomic hazards, such as stress, burnout and musculoskeletal disorders.^3-5

The physical hazards may also result in psychological trauma. According to research by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the European Biosafety Network, 25% of nurses in Germany suffer from mental or psychological health disorders as a direct result of an adverse safety event in the workplace.⁶

Learn more about the psychological consequences of adverse safety events: Feeling down after a needlestick injury? You’re not alone.

European nurse retention and recruitment rates are low

Health Europa goes so far as to say that nurses are leaving the workforce at an “unprecedented pace.”⁷ Globally, turnover rates among nurses are reportedly around 20% per year, while rates in some countries reach as high as 40%.^1,8-10  Stress, fatigue, emotional exhaustion, understaffing and poor patient safety can be seen as predictors of nurses’ intention to leave.¹

A 2022 UK National Health Service (NHS) study found that staff members who had a recent sick leave due to physical symptoms were more likely to subsequently leave the acute sector.¹¹ This rate was even stronger when absences were related to mental health.¹¹ The cycle continues for the healthcare workers that remain on the job, as high turnover in a hospital ward may lead to increased overtime, fatigue, stress and low job satisfaction among the remaining staff.¹

Staff shortages may also have an impact on patient care: one systematic review found that poor wellbeing and moderate to high levels of burnout were associated with poor patient safety outcomes.¹²

Keeping nurses safe keeps them at work

Nurse retention and healthcare worker safety work hand-in-hand: to retain nurses, you must keep them safe.

There are a number of safety steps that you can take to help protect nurses from on-the-job hazards:

• Switch to safety-engineered needles and sharps¹³
• Implement closed-system transfer devices and safe handling practices for hazardous drugs¹⁴
• Routinely monitor the workplace for surface contamination¹⁵
• Adopt no-lift policies and/or patient lift teams to help prevent musculoskeletal disorder¹⁶
• Transition to a continuous learning approach with regular training on workplace hazards¹⁶

As well, social support and job satisfaction can be mediators between nurse burnout and turnover intention.¹ A 2021 analysis of nurse retention among French hospitals found that social support from colleagues and supervisors was associated with significantly lower rates of turnover.¹  To enhance social support, the authors of the analysis recommended implementing solutions that enable healthcare workers to effectively and collaboratively work together and facilitate social communication and interaction.¹

Learn more about preventing musculoskeletal disorders: Six tips to prevent repetitive strain injuries

#Nurse #Nurse retention

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