Talking Talent: Addressing the Workforce Gap in Nursing

In this episode of Talking Talent, we talk about how to address the workforce gap in nursing and the solution developed at Sutter Health in Northern California to increase nurse retention.

Healthcare organisations across the United States are grappling with the nursing shortage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 16 percent between 2014 and 2024 based on an increased emphasis on preventative care, growing rates of chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity and demand for healthcare services for the baby boomer generation. At the same time, baby boomer nurses are retiring in unprecedented numbers. By 2020, the number of baby-boomer nurses in the workforce will decrease to just half their 2008 peak.

Joining us to talk about the unique solution at Sutter Health is Christine Cress, the Director of Nurse Workforce and Leadership Development. A skilled executive coach and Stanford-trained facilitator, Christine has led inter-disciplinary teams to create functions and company programs where they did not exist before. She has been named honorary nurse by her nurse executive colleagues and is a strategic business partner generating results that require no spin. Christine blends mind, heart and business to her practice as a healthcare leader. She brings the insights of 18 years in healthcare – partnering with finance, supply chain, clinicians and HR to serve those who take care of patients.

In this interview , Christine explains how she and her team developed and funded an internal program that increased nurse retention during the nursing shortage.

You can read more about skills shortages in healthcare here:

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