Strategies to alleviate the nursing shortage : literature Review

Abstract

Addressing the nursing shortage for sustained change and assurance of an adequate supply of nurses is very crucial in the healthcare sector. This shortage alleviation is not solely nursing's issue and requires a collaborative effort among nursing leaders in practice and education, health care executives and government. This paper poses several ideas of strategies to alleviate the nursing shortage. The purpose of this study was tofind out the that have been adopted to alleviate nursing shortage. The aim is to contribute to nursing shortage management by deepening the knowledge of different strategies of alleviating nursing shortage. Literature review was performed as a method of the study. Ten (N=10) articles were included from Cinahl Complete, PubMed and Science Direct from 2018 to 2024. The data was analyzed by using inductive content analysis. This thesis was done in cooperation with Mehiläinen Hoivapalvelut Oy, Mainiokoti Kallavesi. The findings of these papers were synthesized into five (5) themes, namely, migration approach, model testing approach, ment orship approach, gender-based approach and leadership approach. While addressing nursing shortage can be multifaceted, some strategies have proven to be beneficial in guaranteeing the retention of nurses. Proper guidance and assistance, team building sessions, cultural integration, and communication skills have been demonstrated to be useful measures for retaining nurses. Language complexity and racism showed to be a challenge during cultural integration, also, staff and patient safety should be properly addressed when attempting to maximize the nurses available. Addressing the nurse shortage is a complex endeavour that necessitates an understanding of the intricate relationships among teams, mentors, policymakers, line managers, and employers, along with their individual experiences. These approaches could positively impact the retention of valued nursing staff if executed and planned well.