When Disliking the Work Environment Is Why Some Employees Leave Healthcare Jobs

April 1, 2021
April 1, 2021

Not everyone is cut out for the healthcare work environment. But that doesn’t meansome employees cannot find other ways to work in healthcare. A regular check in with staff may prevent large-scale departures in reaction to the healthcare work environment.

The HealthStream article, 7 Common Reasons People Leave Healthcare Jobs and What to Do about It, looks at the labor market, examines trends involving hiring and the demands of a healthcare work environment, and connects these key areas to the retention problem in healthcare. Here is an excerpt from the article.

Leaving Healthcare Work Because of the Work Environment

As a reason to leave an organization, dissatisfaction with the work environment is growing. The Workplace Institute reminds us that given the marketplace conditions, when employees become dissatisfied with current workplace conditions, “they increasingly take opportunities to work in a culture and with co-workers they prefer” (Work Institute, 2018).

Do Something about Conditions Before It Is Too Late

It very likely employers are not doing enough to understand and improve conditions that could prevent turnover. Employees do not have to tolerate poor physical conditions or an undesirable atmosphere when better conditions are available to them elsewhere. In addition to providing an acceptable and comfortable work environment where delivering outstanding care is possible, healthcare leaders “should ensure that staff have the right tools to do their jobs effectively, including solutions to improve productivity, efficiency, and accuracy” (Vega, 2016).

References

Work Institute, “2018 Retention Report: Truth & Trends in Turnover,” available at http://info.workinstitute.com/retentionreport2018.

Vega, K., “Getting a Handle on Staff Turnover: Keep staff turnover in the single digits for peak performance,” HFMA, October 1, 2016, Retrieved at https://www.hfma.org/Content.aspx?id=50309&pagesid=1.