Amid a looming worker shortage, Wisconsin healthcare facilities are paying special attention to hiring and retention strategies focused on millennials, according to a La Crosse Tribune report.
The state currently faces increasing vacancy rates for key healthcare professionals. In fact, some vacancy rates for key healthcare professionals employed in hospitals have more than tripled over the past four years, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association 2016 Health Care Workforce Report.
According to a news release from the WHA, the report shows vacancy rates have nearly doubled since 2012 for registered nurses and certified nursing assistants, while the vacancy rates for hospital-based dietitians and surgical technicians have more than tripled since 2012.
The issue is compounded by expected retirements. The release states that more than one-third of all RNs in the Wisconsin are older than 55 and a little more than 40 percent of Wisconsin nurses plan to leave the workforce within the next 10 years.
"Retirements are outstripping hospitals' ability to fill the vacant positions they leave behind. Wisconsin could soon see an unprecedented shortage of key healthcare professionals," Steven Rush, WHA vice president of workforce and clinical practice, said in the release. "It persists for several reasons, but primarily because the demand for healthcare is increasing as baby boomers approach retirement. It's like a double whammy: The age of our workforce is a direct reflection of the average age of our population."
As this worker shortage looms, the Health Science Academy in La Crosse, Wis., offers a two-year program to prepares high school juniors and seniors for careers in the health science industry through career exploration, job shadows, clinical experience, health science labs, mentoring and internship opportunities, according to the report.
Also, Tomah (Wis.) Memorial Hospital serves as a training site for nursing schools, offering training in a hospital setting, Phil Stuart, CEO of TMH, told the La Crosse Tribune. Additionally, La Crosse-based Gundersen Health System's new program allows employees to enter an educational program to become medical assistants, according to the report.
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