While Baylor Scott & White has taken extraordinary steps to address our nursing shortage and ensure quality patient care , further action is needed to rebuild the nursing workforce ...
2 further action is needed to rebuild the nursing workforce .
Supply and Demand
Although nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations in the nation , demand is quickly outpacing supply for a variety of reasons , including :
Changing demographics
Between 2010 and 2030 , the population over the age of 65 will increase by 75 percent . One in five Americans will be a senior citizen . As the population ages , demand for quality healthcare will skyrocket .
The nursing crisis in Texas is also partially driven by a dramatic increase in population , with four million people moving into the state over the past decade .
An aging workforce and limited nursing school enrollment
Like the patients they serve , the nursing workforce is also aging . An estimated onethird of the nation ’ s nurses will reach retirement age in the next 10 to 15 years . This figure includes nursing school faculty , leading to enrollment limitations and too few new nurses entering the field .
Cycle of insufficient staffing and burnout
It ’ s no secret that healthcare workers have faced incredible challenges and pressure over the past two years — through not one or even two , but four surges of the COVID-19 pandemic . Understandably , many healthcare workers are exhausted and overwhelmed . The shortage of staffing only increases the stress on nurses , leading to burnout and even more nurses choosing to leave the field .
Our “ Snap Back Plan ”
Texas is estimated to have the second highest need for nurses in the nation , and Baylor Scott & White is no exception . Thanks to our reputation for excellence in patient care , Baylor Scott & White has historically enjoyed a very low average nurse vacancy rate of just 5 percent . However , we are currently facing an 18 percent nursing vacancy .
“ It ’ s unusual for a system like Baylor Scott & White Health — known for quality patient care and excellence in nursing — to have such a high nurse vacancy rate ,” Dr . Walker says . “ Until now , attracting talented nurses has not been a concern . The last two surges of the COVID-19 pandemic have certainly pushed us into a critical situation .”
To meet our staffing needs in the short-term , Baylor Scott & White has contracted more than 1,300 travel nurses whose services come at a premium — an average of $ 19.6 million per month over the last six months . Beyond the additional costs incurred , travel nurses cycling through departments do not provide an ideal longterm solution since they are less familiar with our System , providers , and practices .
Baylor Scott & White is also investing heavily in our current nurses , with more than $ 125 million in retention bonuses and incentive pay since the start of the pandemic .
While these extraordinary steps and expenditures are necessary to provide quality patient care , the situation is not sustainable . Our goal is to hire as many new nurses as possible , as soon as possible , to address the current crisis in nursing . Hiring newly graduated registered nurses ( GNs ) will be a crucial part of this “ Snap Back Plan .”
However , GNs face a unique and often overwhelming learning curve when entering
“ Baylor Scott & White doesn ’ t just provide graduate nurses with their first jobs — we equip them with the resources they need to succeed in a complex career .”
— Dr . Janice Walker , EVP and CNO for Baylor Scott & White Health
THE COMPASS / SPRING 2022