Staff Retention Plan for Cheyenne Health Care

Running head: Staff Retention

Staff Retention Plan for Cheyenne Health Care

Jeanne Gadbaw

Capella University

Dr. Betty Martin-Lewis

09/11/2008

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Abstract

Retaining employees is a great dilemma for long-term care facilities. Cheyenne Healthcare is just one of the many that belong to Sava Senior Care. The corporation is relatively small unlike large corporations who have resources specifically aimed at retaining their employees while smaller facilities do not. Using various resources, I will examine the issue of employee retention in long-term care facilities. I found that the problem stems from different areas: lack of staff, growing competition for the same pool of workers, money, and benefits. While these issues are a problem, they can be improved. Long-term care facilities need to be innovative and creative in developing ways to keep their employees.

Introduction

Developing and retaining quality nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are crucial to the future of long-term care (LTC).

English: Part of the nursing home at Penrhos Camp ...

English: Cathay Nursing home, Morayshire.

English: Kinross Nursing Home, Drayton

Recruitment alone will not keep pace with the aging workforce, the rising acuity of nursing home residents, and the growing competition for the same pool of workers. A "care gap" will be anticipated, with a smaller proportion of younger adults available to function as formal and informal caregivers to the growing number of older adults (Hollinger-Smith, 2003).

Nursing homes across the country continue to experience a staffing crisis that can jeopardize quality of care and life for residents. This crisis includes insufficient numbers of staff, including certified nursing assistants (CNAs), licensed practical or vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs) and registered nurses (RNs). The reasons for the staffing crisis are complex and multi-factorial (NCCNHR, 2008).

According to the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) is a particular and industry-wide problem. Although turnover rates vary by region, various provider and other...