Location

Virtual

Start Date

1-3-2024 8:00 AM

End Date

1-3-2024 3:30 PM

Keywords:

california; plcmmc

Description

Purpose:

An innovative nursing project was created to evaluate if increasing the total number of nurses entering the Transition into Practice (TIP) program would decrease traveler utilization, resulting in cost savings for the hospital.

Relevance/Significance:

Nursing shortages reached a critical level during the pandemic, and many hospitals throughout the country have not recovered. Many nurses have either left the bedside entirely or moved to the competitive pay of travel nursing requiring hospitals to create competitive hiring practices. The utilization of travel nurses results in increased costs and can have negative patient outcomes.

Strategy/Implementation/Methods:

The clinical education team collaborated with leadership and Talent Acquisition to increase hiring to an established TIP program, increasing the cohort sizes while maintaining Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) standards. Post interview and post hire events were implemented to reduce offer declination. TIP Fellowships expanded in procedural areas to promote internal retention and reduce vacancies. Experienced staff nurses were trained as adjunct faculty to assist with increased class sizes, preceptors received initial and continuing education. Educator tracking processes and tools were developed to manage the large cohorts and specialty groups.

Evaluation/Outcomes/Results:

The TIP program initially launched in 2016 with increasing cohort sizes which plateaued in 2020. In 2021 the TIP program was identified as a key strategy to increase hiring. In 2022 executive nurse leaders encouraged hiring managers to expand typical specialty projection reinforcing the TIP program as the key strategic plan for filling vacancies and travelers for the hospital. The number of enrollees per year were: 2020 [61], 2021 [111], 2022 [198], 2023 [236]. TIP hiring increased by 210% from 2021 to 2023. From 2021 to 2023 the number of contracted nurses was reduced by 61% and the number of vacancies decreased 55%. Cost savings to the hospital was estimated at $5 million.

Conclusions/Implications for Practice:

The utilization of a Transition into Practice program with aggressive hiring strategies and leadership support can decrease traveler burden resulting in cost savings for the organization.

Comments

References:

Ferguson, A., Bradywood, A., Williams, B., & Blackmore, C. C. (2020). Association of use of contract nurses with hospitalized patient pressure injuries and Falls. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 52(5), 527–535. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12572

Akoo, C., McMillan, K., Price, S., Ingraham, K., Ayoub, A., Rolle Sands, S., Shankland, M., & Bourgeault, I. (2023). "I feel broken": Chronicling burnout, mental health, and the limits of individual resilience in nursing. Nursing inquiry, e12609. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12609

Acknowledgements:

Thank you to the Education staff and the Core Leadership Team of Providence Little Company of Mary Torrance for there engagement in this project! This would not have been possible without the support and mentorship of the following people.

Scott Ciesielski

Kathleen Harris

Cindy Wishon

Claudette Dorsey

Lilia Preston

Kyla Jo Armstrong

Sadie Rizo-Martinez

Alice Maldonado

Patricia Rafaelo Camacho

Caroline Lapuz

Shelly Hicks-Cain

Trisha Saul

Sheila Donnell

Wen Chang

Victoria Looper

Department

Graduate Medical Education

Department

Nursing

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Mar 1st, 8:00 AM Mar 1st, 3:30 PM

Building the future: New Grad residency as a response to the staffing crisis

Virtual

Purpose:

An innovative nursing project was created to evaluate if increasing the total number of nurses entering the Transition into Practice (TIP) program would decrease traveler utilization, resulting in cost savings for the hospital.

Relevance/Significance:

Nursing shortages reached a critical level during the pandemic, and many hospitals throughout the country have not recovered. Many nurses have either left the bedside entirely or moved to the competitive pay of travel nursing requiring hospitals to create competitive hiring practices. The utilization of travel nurses results in increased costs and can have negative patient outcomes.

Strategy/Implementation/Methods:

The clinical education team collaborated with leadership and Talent Acquisition to increase hiring to an established TIP program, increasing the cohort sizes while maintaining Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) standards. Post interview and post hire events were implemented to reduce offer declination. TIP Fellowships expanded in procedural areas to promote internal retention and reduce vacancies. Experienced staff nurses were trained as adjunct faculty to assist with increased class sizes, preceptors received initial and continuing education. Educator tracking processes and tools were developed to manage the large cohorts and specialty groups.

Evaluation/Outcomes/Results:

The TIP program initially launched in 2016 with increasing cohort sizes which plateaued in 2020. In 2021 the TIP program was identified as a key strategy to increase hiring. In 2022 executive nurse leaders encouraged hiring managers to expand typical specialty projection reinforcing the TIP program as the key strategic plan for filling vacancies and travelers for the hospital. The number of enrollees per year were: 2020 [61], 2021 [111], 2022 [198], 2023 [236]. TIP hiring increased by 210% from 2021 to 2023. From 2021 to 2023 the number of contracted nurses was reduced by 61% and the number of vacancies decreased 55%. Cost savings to the hospital was estimated at $5 million.

Conclusions/Implications for Practice:

The utilization of a Transition into Practice program with aggressive hiring strategies and leadership support can decrease traveler burden resulting in cost savings for the organization.