Nursing shortage has

yet to impact Watauga

Medical Center
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Nurses are in demand, and as the gap grows between the number of graduates and the job offerings, competition could lead nurses to seek jobs at other hospitals.

For Watauga Medical Center in Boone, that problem has not yet hit home, thanks to a combination of factors both measurable and intangible.

Claire Wilkie, chief clinical officer for Watauga Medical Center, said the nationwide nursing shortage has yet to make a significant local impact. "We recently compared ourselves with the nation and state and we're looking pretty good with our retention rate," she said.

The annual turnover in nurses is about 8 percent nationally and 7.8 percent statewide, while WMC has a 3 percent turnover rate. In a changing job market where nursing has become one of the occupations with the biggest projected growth in demand in the next decade, keeping nurses may become more difficult as more job opportunities arise.

Wilkie said over the last several years it had become more important to help new graduate nurses make the transition from student to a working practice. WMC is shifting from a three-day introduction for new nurses to a 12-week program combining classroom education with clinical experience. Cohort groups of six to eight are brought in so the new nurses can share experiences during the program.

WMC analyzes market rates to make sure nurse salaries are competitive, and embraces a professional practice model that promotes the bedside nurse's role in making medical decisions. A clinical ladder program is for career advancement opportunities among those who want to remain as bedside nurses.

Wilkie said, "We have a nationwide shortage of about 118,000, and that's projected to about 340,000 by 2020. Part of our problem is the aging population and baby boomers aging, so we're seeing a lot of our nurses in that category, along with the faculty that teaches nurses."

The North Carolina Center for Nursing surveyed employers in hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health and hospice agencies and public health departments and found the state faces a nursing shortage that will deepen over the next 14 years. In 2020, the state will need the equivalent of 108,000 full-time registered nurses, but will be able to fill only 76,000 full-time equivalent positions.

The center advocates focusing on nurse retention over recruitment, suggesting hospitals and physicians are using less skilled personnel, relying on temporary personnel and increasing overtime and workloads. The center favors increasing salaries and benefits for nurses, offering scholarships and tuition for certification or education, and making staff adjustments and scheduling to ease potential burnout.

WMC is already addressing many of the concerns of nursing associations. "We offer flexible scheduling, so staff on each unit puts together their own schedules," Wilkie said, with WMC providing financial support for nurses who continue their education.

Wilkie said capitalizing on local resources should help Watauga Medical Center keep pace with increased demand and competition for nurses. WMC and Appalachian State University are forming a partnership to develop a four-year nursing program to combine education and practical instruction. WMC plans to meet future demand by serving as a clinical site and foster relationships with Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute and Mayland Community College.

Wilkie said, " I think this medical center has a very unique culture of caring the staff obviously cares not just about the patients, but each other. Our patient satisfaction scores are very, very positive and I think that's reflective of the staff and the way they treat each other."

Watauga Medical Center currently employs 185 registered nurses.