Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1462389
27 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE to work for us longview, we aren't really seeing that on the physician side." In addition to more employees seeking out staffing agencies, there have been more peo- ple retiring early, Ms. Fitzpatrick said. e American Nurses Association predicts about 500,000 nurses will retire in 2022, creating a shortage of about 1.1 million nurses. There have also been people simply leav- ing their hospital job for another hospital job with better pay, Ms. Cox said. "It sounds like people who work in hospitals are still moving to work in hospitals, they're just maybe leaving for a higher paying job because we are seeing that average salaries are increasing," Ms. Cox said. 'A separate issue' While the healthcare workforce isn't down as much as that "1 in 5" statistic makes it seem, movement into other jobs presents other issues. High turnover creates a disruption in care as healthcare organizations work to fill open positions. "Turnover is in and of itself a separate issue," Ms. Turner said. "So if there's very high turnover, that can present its own challenges as well in bringing new people on and in the disruption that it causes in care." The average cost of turnover for a bedside RN is over $40,000, a 2021 NSI Nursing Solutions report found. In 2020, the turn- over rate for staff RNs was at 18.7 percent, a 2.8 percentage point increase from 2019. "What we're trying to do is simply look at the top-line national numbers as kind of a reality check to simply say that we haven't lost 20 percent of the workforce," Ms. Turner said. "Nonetheless, there are some significant challenges and issues." n Poll: Most people over 50 don't use mobile health apps By Georgina Gonzalez and Naomi Diaz L ess than half of people over age 50 have nev- er used a health-related app, wearable device or tablet, even those who have conditions that might benefit from them, according to the Ann Ar- bor-based University of Michigan's "National Poll on Healthy Aging." In August 2021, researchers conducted an online national poll via mobile phone that randomly selected adults aged 50 to 80, some with Type 2 diabetes, about their use and interest in mobile health applications. The poll found that 56 percent of poll participants had never used a health app. And among participants with Type 2 diabetes, only 28 percent used an app to record blood sugar levels and 14 percent used an app to log medications. Demographic disparities also correlated with app usage. For example, older people who are healthy, have a high annual household income (of over $100,000) and have a bachelor's degree were more likely to use health apps. Health-related apps can improve health outcomes. There are over 350,000 mobile health applications, some of which manage chronic pain, glucose levels and Type 2 diabetes, but many older individuals aren't aware of them. Among the apps that older people did have, exercise- and nutrition-based platforms came out on top, with 34 percent and 22 percent of respondents saying they used such apps, respectively. Older adults who use apps mainly use them to track their health, with 70 per- cent of those who used apps saying that was the main reason to use them. n 5 steps to support healthcare worker well-being By Kelly Gooch A group of healthcare experts and the National Academy of Medicine worked together to identify five actions healthcare leaders can take to support the emotional and psychological needs of nurses, physi- cians and other employees. The five actions, announced in a Feb. 9 news release, are part of a 2022 Healthcare Workforce Rescue Package released by those involved in the initiative. They are: 1. Allow more flexibility and autonomy for clinicians. Examples in the rescue package include using crisis doc- umentation protocols and adjusting quality and patient experience goals. 2. Work with clinicians to remove low-value work via a rapid improvement process. This could include lowering EHR clicks for common workflows and minimizing inbox notifications, according to experts. 3. Help take strain off front-line staff. Examples in the res- cue package include creating new types of shifts based on care needs as well as training and upskilling nurses. 4. Appoint an executive to be responsible for and align clinician well-being efforts. This could include appointing a system chief wellness officer, according to experts. 5. Ensure adequate mental health resources for workers. The rescue package advocates for providing quality mental health counseling and implementing a peer-support program. n