Commentary: Nursing issues
Nurses who return to work in clinical practice require bespoke support
Commentary The authors of this study acknowledged that the methods used, the small sample size and the narrow geographical focus all limited generalisation of findings to the wider nursing workforce. In addition, with data collec- tion taking place between November 2021 and July 2022, it is likely that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will have been a time-specific factor in the experience of participants. Nonetheless, the study does provide an important reminder of work- force challenges within nursing and the potential to mitigate those chal- lenges by harnessing the experience and knowledge of nurses who are no longer practising. It also offers some useful clues to the specific moti- vators, enablers and needs of nurses seeking to return to the profession. One of the key factors associated with identifying the needs of returning nurses is the reason they left in the first place. This brings into focus another limitation of the study by Yamamoto et al , in that all participants primarily left the profession for personal reasons and not because of issues associated with their work as a nurse. This could be framed as participants leaving nursing because of ‘pull’ factors: responsibilities or opportunities outside of the profession, such as child- care, looking after an older relative or pursuing full-time postgraduate education. The study overlooks those nurses who leave the profession for other reasons, which evidence shows include work-related stress, lack of support from leaders, lack of opportunities for career development and experiences of bullying and discrimination. 3 As a profession, we not only need to work to encourage back those nurses who have left due to these ‘push’ factors but also to reduce the likelihood of them leaving in the first place. This involves valuing nurses, providing opportunities for profes- sional development and career progression, effective mentorship and preceptorship, ensuring safe staff levels and reducing workplace stress— all steps which serve to reduce attrition. 4 More broadly still, the approaches advocated by Yamamoto et al to support returning nurses are only one element of addressing the nursing workforce shortage. The workforce needs an increased supply of knowl- edgeable, caring and compassionate nursing students from all areas of society. Crucially, we also need to ensure that the existing nursing work- force is respected, properly rewarded and—as a result—retained. 4 X David Barrett @barrett1972 Competing interests None declared. Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
and development 10.1136/ebnurs-2024-104105
David Barrett
Correspondence to: Professor David Barrett, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK; david.i.barrett@york.ac.uk
Commentary on : Yamamoto K, Nasu K, Nakayoshi Y, et al . Sustaining the nursing workforce - exploring enabling and motivating factors for the retention of returning nurses: a qualitative descriptive design. BMC Nurs 2024;23:248.
Implications for practice and research
► The returning nurse workforce provides a valuable pool of experience, knowledge and skills. ► Large-scale research is required into approaches that encourage nurses to return to the workforce and enable them to stay. Context Shortages in the nursing workforce impact on the quality of patient care and pose a complex challenge for governments and healthcare organisa- tions across the globe. There are estimated to be approximately 29 million nurses worldwide as of 2020, with a shortage of approximately 7 million against required levels. Despite growth in the workforce over the coming years, the nursing shortage is still projected to be 4.5M by 2030. 1 One approach to addressing this shortage is to encourage those who have previously left the profession to return to nursing. The study by Yamamoto et al 2 aimed to discover more about the factors which influ- ence the retention of returning nurses. Methods The authors used a qualitative descriptive design, encompassing conve- nience sampling and semistructured interviews. Participants were regis- tered nurses from Japan who had returned to nursing after a break from the profession of at least 3 years. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using an inductive approach that facilitated the identification of themes. Findings 15 registered nurses were interviewed, and analysis of data generated five themes. Two of these themes—one linked to work–life balance and one focused on career development—were framed as enablers for returning nurses to continue in practice. The other three themes—pride in their role, passion for professional growth and enrichment of their life—motivated participants to continue to pursue their careers. The authors concluded that nursing managers need to maximise enablers and motivators that encourage returning nurses to remain in practice. Approaches proposed included family-friendly working envi- ronments, peer support, constructive feedback and opportunities for continuing professional development. 2
ORCID iD David Barrett http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4308-4219
References 1 Boniol M , Kunjumen T, Nair TS, et al . The global health workforce stock and distribution in 2020 and 2030: a threat to equity and ‘universal’ health coverage. BMJ Glob Health 2022;7:e009316. 2 Yamamoto K , Nasu K, Nakayoshi Y, et al . Sustaining the nursing workforce - exploring enabling and motivating factors for the retention of returning nurses: a qualitative descriptive design. BMC Nurs 2024;23:248. 3 Bahlman-van Ooijen W , Malfait S, Huisman-de Waal G, et al . Nurses' motivations to leave the nursing profession: a qualitative meta-aggregation. J Adv Nurs 2023;79:4455–71. 4 Peters M . Time to solve persistent, pernicious and widespread nursing workforce shortages. Int Nurs Rev 2023;70:247–53.
1
Evid Based Nurs Month 2024 | volume 0 | number 0 |
Powered by FlippingBook