Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare said it is rolling out various efforts to fast-track its hiring process so the health system can fill vacancies more rapidly, especially in nursing, and reduce the workload for staff.

Hospitals lost jobs in November after gaining them the previous month, according to the latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This year has highlighted a tense relationship between employers and employees, with record numbers of staff walking off the job in search of better conditions, a healthier lifestyle or a change of scene. The new year could force employers to up the ante and hand out raises if they want to hold on to employees, Fortune reported Dec. 1.

Unemployment rates declined year over year in 386 of 389 metropolitan areas, increased in one area and remained unchanged in two areas, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Dec. 2. 

As vaccination mandates have become all but universal across the healthcare industry, unvaccinated workers have few employment options. Suspended or terminated health system employees who wish to remain in the healthcare field may have to reconsider their stance on vaccinations, and some of these organizations are giving the option to former staff to rejoin if they get vaccinated. 

As part of efforts to recruit and retain workers, McLaren Flint (Mich.) Hospital is offering $1.5 million in student loan repayment benefits to more than 100 employees, the hospital announced Dec. 2. 

Amid the emergence of the omicron variant, hospitals and health systems continue to battle staffing challenges.

Hospitals and health systems are suspending COVID-19 vaccination mandates amid a temporary halt of the CMS mandate for healthcare workers.

Work friends can help employees feel more connected to the company and encourage them to stay in their roles, CNBC reported Nov. 29.

Asynchronous video interview platforms place stress on candidates and test them in the wrong ways, columnist Sarah O'Connor argued in The Financial Times Nov. 30. 

Some medical professional degrees are saddling students with debt and providing low starting salaries, The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 1. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is pausing its COVID-19 vaccination mandate amid recent federal court decisions, except for states in which it operates that have their own mandates, according to a statement shared with Becker's.

Amid existing staffing challenges, Oregon's largest public psychiatric facility is proposing a plan to hire hundreds of workers to address staff burnout and safety concerns, the Salem Reporter reported Nov. 29.

Metaverse worlds may be set to go mainstream, with organizations looking to the immersive technology as a way to recruit, hire and conduct new employee orientations, CNBC reported Nov. 30.

The State of the Healthcare Workforce In many parts of the country the existing nursing shortage has been exacerbated by continuing COVID-19 waves. The challenge faced by many organizations is churn of its workforce; 86% of Baby Boomer nurses are considering retirement in the next five years, 42% of nurses are experiencing burn out, and hiring rates are not keeping pace with the rate of turnover. In fact, AMN Healthcare saw the ratio of nurse demand versus supply reach a level of more than four orders for every application in the second quarter of 2021.

The Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has extended the comment period for the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test mandate for private employers.

Chicago health systems are collaborating on a workforce development initiative to promote healthcare careers across the city's West and South sides.

A new study from the Pew Research Center shed light on what brings meaning to the lives of people around the world and found that Americans weigh their careers less heavily than other nations, according to the report published Nov. 18.

As the Great Resignation trudges on, younger workers are expressing their dissatisfaction with the status quo of work, Lara Williams wrote in Bloomberg Nov. 28. 

A new study has found that emojis are not perceived equally, nor are they used uniformly between genders in the workplace, and its author suggests forgoing their use in professional interactions, The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 27.