Problem Solving Example: Building a Multigenerational Workforce in Nursing

The flexibility of work arrangements.

The nursing environment provides part-time, flextime and a compressed work schedule. It ensures a reduced workday or weekly working hours with work benefits, telecommuting and conducive 24/7 hospital shifts. This makes the environment conducive for the aging workforce given that they are not personnel to be kept working throughout the day. The part-time aspect enables them to give out their services within the least time available. Johns Centre provides telecommuting and work-to-retire system which provides reduced working hours and seasonal work to the aging workforce hence providing a suitable working environment to them.

Life planning courses

The nursing centers also provide various seminars that are vital to workers and spouses that are in the aging age bracket. Pinnacle Health provides seminars on finances, Medicare, and recreation for employees aged 55+ years and spouses. This enables them to plan their lives accordingly by applying the knowledge obtained from the seminars given that they are an age group that understands how life is. This makes the working environment appropriate and worthwhile for them after rendering their services.

Compensation and benefits

Various nursing organizations provide their workers with a defined benefits pension plan, which generously matches their 401(k) plan in addition to a comprehensive health coverage. They provide the workers with salaries that reflect their years on the job in addition to benefits that address their stages of life. Pinnacle Health offers employees with 55+ years and 20+ years at the organization with full medical and prescription benefits irrespective of their working hours. It also allows employees to work for only four hours a week to be eligible for a subsidized health insurance. This is an awesome benefit for an aging workforce.

Difficulties in the working environment for an aging workforce.

Emotional and physical demands.

Nursing increases to be emotionally and physically demanding increasing workers stress as a result of high work-loads and work shifts in care delivery. Todays health care settings provide more acute patients which add to the workload and stress on the nurse. This would make it difficult for the aging workforce to work efficiently and provide their services more effectively due to the increased pressure at work. It is suggested that older workers are more likely to experience work related stress effects as a result of the increasingly complex nature of the working environment.

The 24/7 work strategy/ work shifts

Due to the reduced resistance of older workers to physical stress at the workplace, they tend to suffer highly from fatigue which might result in work injuries. They also take longer to recover from injuries making it difficult for them to tolerate work shifts (Graham and Duffield, 2010). The severity and recovery time from injuries increases drastically with time.

Specific strategies that can be implemented to engage and retain older workers.

Building a multigenerational workforce.

This involves hiring a wide range of employees irrespective of their ages. This will encourage understanding of the older people stereotypes and how the generations perceive of each other to enhance unity and creation of a friendly working atmosphere within the nursing environment. The Proper establishment of such a friendly and family-like environment would retain the aging workforce for a little bit longer time as they would feel at home.

Training and reskilling platforms.

Medical personnel, technology, practices change rapidly and therefore require continuous education, retraining, and ongoing education to attract other employees. The Older workforce can, therefore, be incorporated in such organizational initiatives. Given that they have been working in the organization for a long period, they are well versed with the technological requirements and skills used in handling various patients in the institution. They can, therefore, be retained by providing them with an opportunity to train the new employees in the organization by establishing platforms such as knowledge-transfer programs where soon-to-retire employees train new workers in a flexible work schedule.

Equipment adjustments.

Employers should overhaul the physical work environment in order to attract mature workers. This involves the use of machinery to perform lifts and any other heavy responsibilities to prevent work injuries which are more prone to the older workforce.

Ensuring a healthy workforce.

Companies that create an inviting and exiting environment that ensures an age-neutral workplace are always successful in attracting and retaining top talent which incorporates 50+ workers. This also involves establishing fitness centers within the organization to maintain the fitness of older workers hence reducing work related injuries and efficient performance of the cohort.

Provision of compensation and benefits.

This involves the issuance of salaries that are in line with the employees years on the job and benefits that are coherent with their stage of life. They involve the provision of a subsidized health insurance, periodic contracts with healthcare and retirement savings benefits and other various medical and prescription benefits that address the older workforce.

References

Beheri W. H. (2009). Diversity within nursing: Effects on nurse-nurse interaction, job satisfaction, and turnover. Chicago: Nursing Administration Quaterly.