In 2020, there was no textbook for healthcare organizations to follow on how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting nursing shortage. Healthcare institutions across the country had to be proactive, focusing on innovation, adaptability and, most importantly, resilience.
Since then, staffing shortages have persisted across all care disciplines. Throughout this time, Hartford HealthCare’s Central Region didn’t wait for the issue to get worse. The New Britain, Conn.-based organization took proactive steps to address staffing shortages and reverse the trend.
A Two-Pronged Approach
To begin addressing staffing shortages, Hartford HealthCare’s Central Region created a pathway to network and build relationships with local communities. A multidisciplinary group of leaders from across the organization worked together to build a strategy that would better integrate and build relationships with the local communities it serves. As a result, students and staff from local high schools and community group officials became familiar with the healthcare team and how the organization functions. These foundational relationships allow young adults to learn about healthcare careers, resulting in an innovative recruitment strategy that is two-fold: a focus on operations for ancillary departments and on nursing. The core objectives were to provide avenues for young adults to explore and experience different areas within the hospital.
Operations Pathway
The first pathway, the General Operations Associate program, provides career opportunities for individuals interested in the healthcare field outside of nursing. The program’s overarching goal is to train young adults in multiple departments, which promotes broad exposure to areas such as environmental services, food and nutrition, and transport. This approach targets departments with historically higher staff turnover and position vacancies and gives young adults the opportunity to get a job and work within the acute care setting. The program is budget neutral, meaning employees backfill vacant positions, and their hours are billed to the departments in which they work. In addition, most of the program participants work per diem, and there are no additional benefits.
Since the program’s inception in August 2022, general operations associates have covered more than 1,500 hours per month, all which would have been left unfilled and resulted in staff vacancies or overtime. As a result, departments have reduced their overtime by 12% and have significantly reduced callouts (employees who are scheduled to work but call in on the day of saying they won’t be coming in) due to staff burnout. In addition, Hartford HealthCare Central Region’s employee engagement survey participation increased by 11%, with 93% of respondents stating their work is meaningful and employees reporting that their departments are adequately staffed.
Hartford HealthCare also created another operations recruitment program. Through its internship program for inner city young adults, participants work in various clinical and nonclinical departments, providing a pathway to long-term healthcare careers. Students gain valuable experiences in the acute care setting in areas including nursing, rehab, radiology, marketing, IT and guest relations. These opportunities provide students with firsthand exposure to careers in healthcare. Since the program’s inception, there have been more than 50 interns across three cohorts, with new cohorts and additional departments slated for the 2023–2024 school year, which started in November.
Nursing Pathways
Hartford HealthCare’s second pathway for addressing staffing shortages involves nursing through a partnership with ReadyCT, an organization that provides career opportunities for students. The goal is to work with young adults who are completing their certified nurse’s aide course or those who show interest in nursing. ReadyCT staff or Hartford Healthcare staff work closely with young adults from ReadyCT, giving them exposure to clinical operations and helping them learn key skill sets to enhance their professional careers. Those interactions and experiences are proving to be invaluable to the students.
Hartford HealthCare’s Central Region Nursing Professional Development team has created a nursing student advanced pipeline, which supports young adults who are starting in a nursing program and seeking clinical opportunity on their nursing journeys. The pipeline, started in 2020, is flourishing; since 2021, Hartford HealthCare has recruited 59 patient experience assistants and 137 student nurse techs. In addition, the program has supported 50 student nurse interns with a 50% retention rate of hiring graduate nurses.
Hartford HealthCare is extremely proud of the efforts it has undertaken since the start of the pandemic when it comes to caring for its patients and looking for creative and meaningful ways to stay ahead of staffing challenges. Doing so allows the organization to continue to offer a high level of quality care to its communities, no matter the circumstances.
Roxanne Aldi-Quaresima, APRN, is director of nursing, Hartford HealthCare, New Britain, Conn. (Roxanne.Aldi-Quaresima@hhchealth.org). Robert M. Weiss was regional business operations manager, Hartford HealthCare, New Britain, Conn. He is an ACHE Member.
To begin addressing staffing shortages, Hartford HealthCare’s Central Region created a pathway to network and build relationships with local communities. A multidisciplinary group of leaders from across the organization worked together to build a strategy that would better integrate and build relationships with the local communities it serves. As a result, students and staff from local high schools and community group officials became familiar with the healthcare team and how the organization functions. These foundational relationships allow young adults to learn about healthcare careers, resulting in an innovative recruitment strategy that is two-fold: a focus on operations for ancillary departments and on nursing. The core objectives were to provide avenues for young adults to explore and experience different areas within the hospital.
Operations Pathway
The first pathway, the General Operations Associate program, provides career opportunities for individuals interested in the healthcare field outside of nursing. The program’s overarching goal is to train young adults in multiple departments, which promotes broad exposure to areas such as environmental services, food and nutrition, and transport. This approach targets departments with historically higher staff turnover and position vacancies and gives young adults the opportunity to get a job and work within the acute care setting. The program is budget neutral, meaning employees backfill vacant positions, and their hours are billed to the departments in which they work. In addition, most of the program participants work per diem, and there are no additional benefits.
Since the program’s inception in August 2022, general operations associates have covered more than 1,500 hours per month, all which would have been left unfilled and resulted in staff vacancies or overtime. As a result, departments have reduced their overtime by 12% and have significantly reduced callouts (employees who are scheduled to work but call in on the day of saying they won’t be coming in) due to staff burnout. In addition, Hartford HealthCare Central Region’s employee engagement survey participation increased by 11%, with 93% of respondents stating their work is meaningful and employees reporting that their departments are adequately staffed.
Hartford HealthCare also created another operations recruitment program. Through its internship program for inner city young adults, participants work in various clinical and nonclinical departments, providing a pathway to long-term healthcare careers. Students gain valuable experiences in the acute care setting in areas including nursing, rehab, radiology, marketing, IT and guest relations. These opportunities provide students with firsthand exposure to careers in healthcare. Since the program’s inception, there have been more than 50 interns across three cohorts, with new cohorts and additional departments slated for the 2023–2024 school year, which started in November.
Nursing Pathways
Hartford HealthCare’s second pathway for addressing staffing shortages involves nursing through a partnership with ReadyCT, an organization that provides career opportunities for students. The goal is to work with young adults who are completing their certified nurse’s aide course or those who show interest in nursing. ReadyCT staff or Hartford Healthcare staff work closely with young adults from ReadyCT, giving them exposure to clinical operations and helping them learn key skill sets to enhance their professional careers. Those interactions and experiences are proving to be invaluable to the students.
Hartford HealthCare’s Central Region Nursing Professional Development team has created a nursing student advanced pipeline, which supports young adults who are starting in a nursing program and seeking clinical opportunity on their nursing journeys. The pipeline, started in 2020, is flourishing; since 2021, Hartford HealthCare has recruited 59 patient experience assistants and 137 student nurse techs. In addition, the program has supported 50 student nurse interns with a 50% retention rate of hiring graduate nurses.
Hartford HealthCare is extremely proud of the efforts it has undertaken since the start of the pandemic when it comes to caring for its patients and looking for creative and meaningful ways to stay ahead of staffing challenges. Doing so allows the organization to continue to offer a high level of quality care to its communities, no matter the circumstances.
Roxanne Aldi-Quaresima, APRN, is director of nursing, Hartford HealthCare, New Britain, Conn. (Roxanne.Aldi-Quaresima@hhchealth.org). Robert M. Weiss was regional business operations manager, Hartford HealthCare, New Britain, Conn. He is an ACHE Member.