A certain story is being sold about healthcare workers - and even among them - relating to the state of the industry and the career prospects it provides. But just because it's widespread, does that mean it's true?
On the one hand, the majority of healthcare workers have not changed jobs. Obviously. On the other hand, we repeatedly hear that the majority of healthcare workers are experiencing burnout, which can lead to a job change. Perhaps the problem centers on the fact that burnout isn't narrowly defined. Is it just feeling like you don't want to do work? Or is it something more significant?
That's what we dive into this week in the Five To Save...
1. An editorial in Becker's made the case that the narrative around healthcare workers quitting in droves doesn't stand up to inspection. So where do the numbers that we read about massive exoduses come from?
2. For one thing, when healthcare workers are quitting, they're leaving their jobs but not the industry. And a not insignificant portion of the small group leaving healthcare completely are older professionals who are choosing to retire.
3. So is the actual tide of feeling in the community pushing one way or another? One study indicates that the majority of healthcare workers are feeling overwhelmed, and the perception of how well the COVID-19 crisis is being handled is getting worse. And while its prevalence varies greatly between demographics and positions, a pervading reluctance to work is not dominant.
4. It's worth considering how much public policy has affected the public's interaction with healthcare. When laws running counter to the advice of medical professionals are enforced, that lessens the public trust in healthcare workers' authority. Look no further than the CDC's revised mask policy that will no doubt encourage some people to buck mask requirements in medical settings.
5. How's the perception of that other important topic we cover? Feelings about the supply chain have significantly improved from last year, especially where its ability to make or break a business is concerned (see the above graphic). Should we revise our feelings and plans right now given the war in Ukraine? As strategic as the Odessa port is in particular, disruptions are only likely in the energy and minerals supply chains for the moment.
As that changes, as always, we'll keep you updated.
No signs of a resignation great or small here at Z5 Inventory. In fact, we just added a significant number of employees through our acquisition of Livingston Inventory Services. So there should be no disruptions to your next healthcare inventory project.
That much, at least, you can count on.
(That's a pun, see? Because we help healthcare providers count their inventory? No good? Okay, we won't quit our day job...)