By Carol Boston-Fleischhauer and Junhong Peng

As we welcome in 2022, the daily average of new Covid-19 cases surpassed 400,000 for the first time in the pandemic—driven by a combination of the omicron and delta variants. Now hospitalizations are rising too, hitting hospitals already strained by staff shortages.

Why so many nurses are quitting (and what to do about it)

Increasing turnover and vacancies in all frontline positions, particularly nurses, has placed hospitals in treacherous waters. Despite the many uncertainties that the omicron variant brings, one thing is clear: our already battered health care workforce is being put to the test yet again.

During this uncertain time, here is a necessity: clinical leaders should actively support their staff day in and day out. And while this moment in time is incredibly strenuous, we are here to help guide your efforts.

So how can health care leaders help? We've curated a list of four key strategies to take right now to support your workforce.

1.  Communicate plans to create—and staff—additional inpatient capacity

At this stage in the pandemic, preparing for an influx of hospitalizations may seem second nature. And yet, service line volumes and staffing gaps continue to shift daily, impacting an organization's ability to accommodate additional Covid-19 patients. If you have not already, leaders should confirm plans to accommodate the additional inpatient volume to their current staffing reality and widely communicate those plans to the frontline.

Transparency on how and when the organization will act to create capacity and cover staffing in critical units can reduce employee anxiety. Our profile of Baylor Scott and White Health's Covid-19 care team model is available as a reference point for team-based Covid-19 care.

2.  Make employee safety a top priority.

As the health care workforce faces yet another surge, the need for employees to feel safe is non-negotiable. Core to employee safety includes adequate PPE, ventilators, and other related Covid-19 equipment available to protect employees from infection and mitigate their moral distress.

Workplace violence resource library

But more than that, leaders must double down on efforts to protect staff from any violence leveled against them by patients, families, or other community members. Across the country, health systems have seen an uptick in reports of patient violence against health care providers since the start of the pandemic. Verbal and physical abuse directed at staff by consumers may continue as the uncertainty of the latest variant unfolds amidst continued political polarization. If left unaddressed, violence and harassment against frontline clinicians may exacerbate existing shortages and burnout. Use our workplace violence resource library as a starting point to mitigate this violence before it occurs.

3.  Support your employees inside (and outside) the workplace.

Not only does each Covid-19 surge bring an immense workload to staff, it also creates additional stressors outside of work. Beyond aggressive efforts to hardwire resiliency support for employees in the work environment, leaders must prioritize strategies to address stressors outside of the workplace as well:

Emerging idea: Informal caregiver flexible working arrangement

• Offering back-up child support;
• Issuing meal vouchers or other support for responsibilities outside of work; and
• Offering flexible work options for those unable to maintain current schedules.

4.  Don't ease up on staff recruitment and retention.

While navigating operations for the omicron variant, health systems must continue to focus on efforts to stabilize the clinical workforce. Many clinical staff are burned out from 18 months of pandemic care; amidst increasing staffing shortages. While it may be tempting to shift your focus entirely to the clinical surge, it is imperative to maintain continued efforts to stabilize your workforce and retain as many employees as possible through future uncertainty. Moreover, reassuring staff that recruitment and retention efforts are ongoing will help to ease fears of further burnout due to insufficient staffing levels.

Parting thoughts—we are here to support you

Navigating continued Covid-19 surges amid crippling staffing shortages remains an unprecedented leadership challenge. Regardless of how the omicron variant is impacting the health care workforce, it is important to step back and consider how we can rely on lessons we've learned over the past two years. Lessons such as having candid conversations with staff, understanding the reasons why staff are leaving, employing strategies to stabilize the nursing workforce, and many more.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly as you consider options for workforce stabilization despite the uncertainties of the pandemic. Please connect with our experts directly by submitting any requests for assistance to our Member Portal.

Together, we can move forward—doing our best to stay prepared, protected, an proactive.