April 2004
 Western Maryland Health
System Creates “Weekends Only” Nursing Positions
To alleviate the ongoing problem of weekend staffing at its
two hospitals in Cumberland, Western Maryland Health System in Cumberland
created a new job category—the “Weekends Only” RN position. This
allows registered nurses to work two 12-hour shifts on Saturdays and Sundays.
The advantages for the health system include guaranteed
optimal weekend staffing and a reduction in weekend premium pay. Nancy Adams,
the system’s senior vice president/chief nurse executive, said, “We
have consistent staffing and it makes weekend staffing wonderful.”
Although the hourly rate of pay for these positions is considerably higher than
that of the regular staff, the savings in premium pay previously paid on
weekends substantially funds these positions. Further, the improvement in the
quality of care to patients based on optimal staffing, and the potential for
the regular staff to work fewer weekends contributes to greater satisfaction
among all nurses. In addition, many of the weekends only nurses elect to work
an extra shift during the week when the census is high at either hospital,
Adams said.
The nurses benefit from the new position because they now
have the opportunity to work two 12-hour shifts for almost the same pay as
nurses who work a standard, 40-hour work week. In addition, the “Weekends
Only” position has been an extremely useful tool in bringing new nurses
into the health system. Nurses from outside the health system, new graduate
nurses, as well as experienced nurses, have the opportunity to work fewer hours
for more pay, making these positions easy to fill, according to Adams.
Retaining nurses already working within the system has also
been more successful due to this new initiative. Many of these nurses have
young children and find the new position helpful because they now have the
option of working when the other parent is more likely to be home, eliminating
the need for babysitters.
Another aspect of “Weekends Only” positions that
appeals to nurses is that it creates the option of a Monday through Friday
position for tenured nurses, helping with unit scheduling. Presenting this new
option results in happier nurses, which in turn generates more satisfied
patients.
Since its inception two years ago, 20 “Weekends
Only” positions have been filled across the health system. Four of these
positions are unit-based and eight “floating” nurses are staffed at
each of the two campuses. Adams notes that they are considering expanding the
idea in the Critical Care Units, so that tenured nurses in those areas will
only have to work weekdays, instead of the typical rotating weekend schedule.
Contact:
Nancy D. Adams, RN, MBA
Senior Vice
President/Chief Nurse Executive
Western Maryland Health System
Phone:
301 723 4158
E-mail: nadams@wmhs.com (Back to the top)
 Anne Arundel Medical Center Looks to
Philanthropy to Combat Nursing Shortage
Usually, a hospital’s philanthropic effort is aimed at
raising money for new buildings. But one local hospital is changing the norm.
It’s focused on soliciting money to attract and retain nurses as part of
the hospital’s solution to the national nursing shortage.
“Philanthropy has to grow in all hospitals,” said
Lisa Hillman, senior vice president, chief development officer at Anne Arundel
Medical Center (AAMC). It is particularly important to the recruitment and
retention of nurses, said Hillman, who recently re-vamped the fund-raising
efforts of the hospital’s Nursing Scholarship Fund.
“Nursing deserves it, warrants it, needs it,”
Hillman said. “We have to help transition new leaders and grow the
workforce.”
Studies show that the nursing shortage is expected to reach
17,000 in Maryland over the next decade. Furthermore, AAMC employs
approximately 700 nurses, many of whom rapidly are approaching retirement.
“The average age of our nurse is mid 40’s,”
Hillman said.
Founded in the early 1990’s, the Anne Arundel Medical
Center’s Nursing Scholarship Fund has been low key in soliciting money,
even though it has awarded more than 50 nursing scholarships ranging from
$1,000 to $1,500. It also has sent nurses on a vast array of educational
training programs and workshops over the past 13 years.
Hillman’s goal is to grow the fund to a $2 million
endowment. No date has been set for when the money needs to be raised, but an
aggressive campaign—aimed at bringing light to the Nursing Scholarship
Fund—is currently underway, Hillman said.
The campaign includes direct mailings to Anne Arundel
residents, as well as an article in Vital Signs, the hospital’s
magazine, that reaches more than 300,000 homes. The hospital also plans to
market the fund to its nursing staff.
Continuing in the fund’s long tradition, the hospital
intends to give out four nursing scholarships this year at its annual Nursing
Dinner on May 6.
“It is our intent to grow the fund. We are really just
beginning, but getting some wonderful responses and encouragement,”
Hillman said in an e-mail. “We do know the recipients are very grateful,
and it certainly has made an impact on their lives.”
Contact:
Lisa Hillman
Senior Vice President,
Chief Development Officer
Anne Arundel Medical Center
Phone:
443-481-4747
E-mail: lhillman@aahs.org (Back to the top)
 Reduced Turnover
Tied to Skills Enhancement Program at Hopkins
Faced with the challenge of attracting and retaining a
skilled, entry-level workforce, the Johns Hopkins Hospital is combating the
problem through an educational program that has not only improved the basic
skills of its employees, but also has significantly reduced turnover among the
hospital’s entry-level workers.
As one of the largest employers of Baltimore City, Johns
Hopkins Hospital looks to the local labor force to fill many of its entry-level
positions, including careers in food service, security, housekeeping, or
environmental services. These jobs often do not require workers to have a high
school diploma or strong basic academic skills.
“Four to five years ago, Johns Hopkins Hospital had a
turnover of approximately 40 percent for entry-level positions,” said
Deborah Knight-Kerr, director of community and education projects for Johns
Hopkins Health System.
“Now, it has been reduced to 20 percent to 22
percent,” Knight-Kerr said.
She and other Hopkins officials credit the facility’s
Skills Enhancement Program (SEP). Hopkins started offering basic skills classes
in 1993 under the auspices of a federal workplace literacy program. When the
program's federal funding ended in 1997, Hopkins found other public support to
augment funding. However, since 1999 Hopkins has allocated $100,000 to $125,000
every year to support the program, said Pamela Paulk, vice president of human
resources for Johns Hopkins Health System.(1)
SEP features approximately 15 courses per semester, twice a
year. Courses in math, reading, American sign language, GED preparation,
computer basics and medical-terminology are just a few of the classes offered,
Paulk said. The semesters run from August through November and March through
June. Each two-hour class meets twice a week.
The classes have been popular among Johns Hopkins Hospital
employees and are producing desired results, Paulk said. More than 200
employees enroll each semester, she said.
Enrollment data show that 443 hospital employees have
participated in SEP between 1998 and 2001, 32 percent of whom have moved into
higher pay grades, Knight-Kerr said.
The data also show that 4 percent of those 443 employees
moved into management pay grades, while 45 percent remained at the same pay
level. Knight-Kerr still views this as a positive.
“It represents retention,” she said.
Contact:
Deborah Knight-Kerr
Director of
Community and Education Projects
Johns Hopkins Health System
Phone:
410-955-1488
E-mail: dkkerr@jhmi.edu
Pamela Paulk
Vice
President of Human Resources
Johns Hopkins Health System
Phone:
410-955 8600
E-mail: ppaulk@jhmi.edu
(1) In March 2004, John
Hopkins Hospital received a grant from the US Department of Labor to expand SEP
and disseminate information about how to replicate the program to other
hospitals. (Back to the top)
 Garrett County Uses
Children at Play to Promote Health Careers
With shortages expected in nearly all health care
professions, one local hospital is raising awareness about how children can
change that future, through its annual calendar dedicated to children at play
being medical professionals.
“Now is the time for us to realize that the future
health care givers are today’s children,” wrote Garrett County
Memorial Hospital President Donald P. Battista in the hospital’s annual
calendar.
“That is why we have devoted this year’s calendar
to children at play, being doctors, nurses, or some other type of health care
individual. As children take their doll’s temperature, bandage their
puppy, or care for their sick teddy bear they are developing interests that can
be encouraged. Those times at play often turn into a lifetime interest.”
Annually, the hospital publishes a calendar, which is sent
out to the community and given to staff, said Denise Liston, vice president of
clinical services at Garrett County Memorial Hospital. Last year’s
calendar, for example, featured pictures of the hospital’s various
buildings or clinical services. However, this year’s calendar marks the
first time the hospital has featured children, used as a marketing tool to
highlight the nationwide shortage of medical workers, Liston said.
“Children are the future,” Liston said “With
this health care shortage, we have to get children to start thinking at a very
young age about health care careers.”
The calendar features 11 children, ranging in age from 1 to
6 years. All of the children have parents or even a grandparent who work in the
health care profession at the hospital, Liston said. Each month the calendar
also raises awareness about the expected shortages in a given health care
profession.
The month of March, for example, features 3-year-old
Anthony, the son of Jo Ann Forno, manager of the hospital’s surgical
services department. Donning scrubs and stethoscope, Anthony emphasizes the
shortages in cardiology, radiology, and orthopedic surgery.
The month of April features 4-year-old Jessica, whose mom
Kendra Thayer, is an emergency room nurse at the hospital. Dressed in a white
lab coat, and surrounded by a diagnostic equipment, Jessica stresses the
shortage of laboratory technologists and technicians.
“We have gotten really nice comments from folks,”
said Liston, regarding patrons’ reaction to the calendar. “They say,
‘It’s refreshing to see kids on there,’” Liston said.
“This year’s calendar is such a tremendous
success, next year’s calendar is also expected to feature children,”
Liston said.
Contact:
Denise Liston, RN BSN MHSA
Vice
President of Clinical Services
Garrett County Memorial Hospital
Phone:
301-533-4178
E-mail: dliston@gcmhmail.com (Back to the top)
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