How Staff Retention Can Boost Patient Outcomes

Healthcare organizations and hospitals rely heavily on their staff to deliver quality care and ensure patient safety. However, high turnover rates and low employee engagement can negatively impact patient outcomes, leading to poor quality care and decreased patient safety.

It’s really no wonder why staff retention and employee engagement are critical components of ensuring effective patient outcomes and patient safety in healthcare organizations.

When employees feel engaged and committed to their work, they are more likely to provide high-quality care and take the necessary steps to ensure patient safety. Staff retention reduces the need for hiring and training new staff members, which can be time-consuming and costly.

Let’s take a deeper look, shall we?

Staff Retention and Patient Outcomes

Staff retention refers to the ability of an organization to keep its employees over a specified period. Retaining staff members in healthcare organizations is crucial to ensuring the continuity of care and providing high-quality services. When healthcare professionals leave an organization, it can result in a loss of expertise and institutional knowledge, which can lead to a decline in patient outcomes.

High staff turnover rates can have a significant impact on patient outcomes. When staff members leave, healthcare organizations face the challenge of recruiting and training new staff, which can take time and resources away from providing patient care.

Not only that, but new staff members may not have the same level of experience and familiarity with the organization’s policies and procedures, which can lead to errors and mistakes. You can start to see why employee retention in healthcare is so important!

High turnover rates among nurses are associated with an increased risk of patient mortality, medication errors, and patient falls. The same study found that for every 10% increase in nurse turnover, there was a 2.12% increase in the odds of patient mortality.

On the other hand, organizations with low turnover rates can provide more consistent care and have better patient outcomes. Hospitals with lower turnover rates had lower mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay, and higher patient satisfaction scores.

Why is this so important? Because healthcare organizations with low employee turnover rates had better clinical outcomes than those with high turnover rates, according to this study. The research concluded that staff retention is essential to delivering quality patient care and improving patient outcomes. And yet, while staff retention is a top priority for most health organizations, 59% of respondents cited it as a significant challenge.

One of the primary reasons why staff retention is essential for patient outcomes is the impact of continuity of care. Continuity of care refers to the consistent delivery of care by the same healthcare provider or team over an extended period of time. When patients see the same provider or team consistently, it can result in better health outcomes and patient satisfaction. However, when staff members leave an organization frequently, it can result in frequent changes to the patient’s care team, leading to fragmented care and potentially worse outcomes.

And no one wants that!

Employee Engagement and Patient Safety

Employee engagement refers to the emotional commitment and dedication that employees have towards their work and their organization. Engaged employees are more likely to go above and beyond their job duties and are more committed to providing quality care. Engaged employees are enthusiastic about their work, committed to the organization’s goals, and willing to go above and beyond their job requirements to provide high-quality care. Employee engagement is essential to ensuring patient safety, as engaged employees are more likely to identify and report safety concerns.

In contrast, disengaged employees may lack motivation and may not prioritize patient safety.

Hospitals with higher employee engagement scores had lower rates of patient safety incidents, such as falls, infections, and pressure ulcers. Engaged employees are also more likely to adhere to safety protocols and communicate effectively with their colleagues, which can prevent errors and improve patient outcomes.

But that’s not all. There are also HR benefits to employee engagement — tying it all back to staff retention.

Engaged employees are more likely to stay with their organization, which can improve staff retention rates. Engaged employees are 59% less likely to look for a job with a different organization. By improving employee engagement, healthcare organizations can retain their staff and provide more consistent and reliable care to their patients.

Employee engagement is positively associated with patient safety culture. Those employees who are more engaged and thriving are more likely to report safety concerns, participate in safety initiatives, and work collaboratively with their colleagues to promote patient safety.

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The Impact of Turnover and Engagement on Healthcare Costs

High employee turnover and low engagement can have a significant impact on healthcare costs. When employees leave an organization frequently, it can result in higher recruitment and training costs, as well as lost productivity due to understaffing. Turnover costs can range from 16% to 213% of the employee’s salary, depending on their level of expertise and experience.

Low employee engagement can lead to decreased productivity, absenteeism, and increased healthcare costs. Disengaged employees are more likely to experience chronic health problems, resulting in higher healthcare costs for both themselves and their employers.

The U.S. healthcare system has faced losses between $450 billion to $550 billion annually due to disengaged employees.

Work and facility safety are also important for any organization. You want employees who are more likely to adhere to safety protocols and guidelines, which can prevent adverse events and errors. Across the U.S. and Western Europe, there is an estimated $383.7 billion in avoidable adverse patient safety events.

That’s a lot of avoidable loss that could be mitigated with engaged employees, considering that employee engagement is positively associated with adherence to infection prevention and control protocols. Engaged employees are more likely to follow best practices for infection prevention, resulting in lower infection rates and improved patient safety.

The Long and Short of Healthcare Staff Retention

Staff retention and employee engagement are essential to ensuring effective patient outcomes and patient safety in healthcare organizations. Retaining staff members reduces the need for hiring and training new employees, which can be costly and time-consuming. Engaged employees are more likely to provide high-quality care, adhere to safety protocols, and identify and report safety concerns, leading to better patient outcomes and improved patient safety.

Healthcare organizations must prioritize staff retention and employee engagement to ensure the delivery of high-quality care and promote patient safety. By prioritizing staff retention and employee engagement, healthcare organizations can not only improve patient outcomes and patient safety, but also reduce healthcare costs and improve the overall quality of care provided. It is essential to recognize the critical role that employees play in delivering high-quality care and prioritize their well-being to ensure the long-term success of healthcare organizations.

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