Registered nurses in Maine and members of the state's nursing association testified May 4 at a legislative hearing in support of statewide regulations on nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. 

The most effective leaders have realized staffing issues and shortages aren't going away, but there are plenty of opportunities to redesign healthcare delivery for even better patient outcomes and experiences.

As of March, there are more than 27,000 open hospital jobs in the state of Michigan. 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation May 2 that increases penalties for people who commit violence against healthcare workers and allows hospitals to establish campus police forces.

Healthcare gained 39,600 jobs in April, which is lower than the average monthly gain of 47,000 over the prior six months, according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Healthcare announced the fourth-most job cuts among 30 industries and sectors measured in the first four months of 2023, according to one new analysis.

Burnout among clinicians is not new in healthcare due to the demands of the job. However, the issue increased amid the COVID-19 pandemic and remains a crucial challenge for hospitals to address, particularly as organizations are focused on recruitment and retention and as workers may face a greater potential for animosity from some patients. 

Engaging and retaining employees is a significant challenge for provider organizations dealing with massive churn, especially among entry-level employees.

  Three-quarters of managers believe Generation Z is harder to work with than other generations, according to a recent survey from resumebuilder.com. 

Improving health equity at hospitals and in the communities they serve is not a new topic of discussion. However, in recent years, organizations have increased their focus on this topic. That includes Minneapolis-based Hennepin Healthcare's Compass Program, where employees explore and reflect on racial inequities in healthcare. 

Baptist Memorial Health Care recently introduced an employer-based well-being program to help companies prevent and manage chronic illness.

More than 1 in 10 women experience adverse work outcomes due to menopause symptoms, signaling a need to improve treatment and create more supportive workplaces, according to a study published April 26 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 

The number of board-certified physician assistants increased by 76.1 percent in the last decade. 

Scripps Health is eliminating 70 administrative roles, according to WARN documents filed by the San Diego-based health system in early March.

The percentage of young Americans struggling to pay their bills has increased since 2022, Bloomberg reported April 28.

Hospitals and health systems continue to seek ways to combat a shortage of nurses. In Michigan, some organizations are leaning on foreign nurses to help fill the staffing gaps — an effort that comes amid the U.S.' decision to limit green card applications, the Detroit Free Press reported April 28.

The number of advertised job vacancies for registered nurses in the U.S. spiked in March 2022 compared to March 2021, but then fell in March 2023. Although advertised job vacancies overall fell from the year prior in 2023, they're still higher compared to 2020.

To retain workers, hospitals and health systems must ensure they meet employee needs and expectations across generations. This is particularly true as more older healthcare workers have retired or plan to retire, and as younger generations such as millennials and Generation Z make up large portions of their workforces.  

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, which reported net income of $143 million in the first quarter of 2023, is seeing its contract labor numbers improve, but such costs will continue to be of concern for a while yet.

Many U.S. workers have wholeheartedly embraced the flexibility and freedom of working from home, but new research suggests there may be a hidden downside to remote work, The New York Times reported April 24.