Near the top of the list of relevant topics impacting healthcare is the shortage of nurses. The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania predicts the Commonwealth will see a shortage of more than 20,000 nurses... the worst nationally.
Following two successful HealthKey Summits, we heard from numerous attendees that in addition to the larger conference, there was interest in smaller gatherings that were more focused on timely topics. From this feedback, HealthKey Focus Session was born. More than 60 people attended our first-ever HealthKey Focus Session held at Independence LIVE.
In her opening remarks, Reverend Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake (President, Independence Blue Cross Foundation and Vice President of Community Affairs, Independence Blue Cross) said, “We all know that nurses are deeply ingrained in every aspect of health care, providing hands on care to patients, educating patients and their families and coordinating with other professionals to create and implement care plans. Their multifaceted role makes them indispensable in the healthcare system, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.”
Our Session panelists included:
They are all on the front lines of the nursing shortage, working tirelessly inside and outside their respective organizations to address the issue at hand. During the session, they provided valuable insights into root causes of the issue and potential solutions to provide a positive impact.
Some of our key takeaways from this HealthKey Focus Session:
There Are Gaps in Educational Resources for Nurses
Nursing programs can be limited by the number of available clinical training sites for students – and healthcare organizations are finding creative solutions to fill this gap.
Dean Donna Havens explained the difficulty in finding enough faculty and clinical sites for nursing students, which limits the number of students who can be accepted into programs. Partnerships between universities and healthcare organizations to provide more clinical training sites for nursing students can be directly impactful. Leveraging home healthcare settings for clinical rotations, as BAYADA does, can support the education system.
AI Will Have Limited Impact... For Now
Utilizing AI to alleviate the added pressure of administrative tasks was one area of potential impact that panelists agreed upon. But beyond administrative tasks, there were some interesting approaches highlighted for using AI in even more depth as clinical support for patients.
David Baiada shared his perspective on the potential of AI to augment clinical decision-making and improve patient care. He mentioned a company that has developed nurse alternatives using AI trained on thousands of nurse-patient phone calls.
Dean Donna Havens discussed the integration of AI in education and the importance of critical thinking and judgment for students and practitioners while Rob Brooks discussed the potential of AI in predictive analysis and its impact on staffing and patient care. The integration of AI into daily operations will likely increase as technology continues to develop.
Retention and Career Development Can Have an Impact
Building career development programs to empower new nurses and make it easy for nurses to re-enter the workforce after time away can directly impact retention and career growth.
Rob Brooks shared his experience with adapting orientation programs to ensure new nurses are well-prepared for their roles. His interesting approach included creative solutions to impact retention, such as flexible scheduling options for nurses. He also emphasized the need for good leadership and career development opportunities to impact retention.
Dean Donna Havens discussed Villanova's programs for re-entering the workforce and educating nurse managers while David Baiada highlighted the importance of human connection and relationships in retaining clinicians.
Panelists agreed that addressing the nursing shortage requires both short-term and long-term solutions, from educational resources to innovative partnerships. Community efforts in healthcare will play a vital role in driving these solutions forward.