The Health Care Workforce-Driver for New Lifting Strategies

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The Health Care Workforce-Driver for New Lifting
Strategies

• Wisconsin Hospital Association
• Judy Warmuth
• VP, Workforce Development
• April 20, 2007

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About Wisconsin
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Wisconsins Population Age Cohorts
Source DWD
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• In 2000 the average age in Wisconsin was 36.3
• By 2030, it will be over 40

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The Workforce
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55 and older-staying in the workforce

• Pension/retirement savings not large enough.
• Social Security benefit not large enough or
  unsure of availability.
• Need health insurance and other benefits.
• Spouse's job not secure.
• Not ready to quit working.
• Working part-time is feasible in health care.

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Age of the Nursing Workforce
Source Buerhaus and others, JAMA, June 2000, p
2953
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• Average Wisconsin Nurse is 46.9, grew by over 2
  years in the last 5 year.
• Average Nurse in U.S. is 46.8, grew by over a
  year in last four.

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Implication-from Buerhaus

• Efforts to restructure patient care delivery must
  be more ergonomically sensitive to older RN, who
  are more susceptible to neck, back, and feet
  injuries and have a reduced capacity to perform
  certain physical tasks compared with younger
  nurses

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Source WHA 2005 Personnel Survey
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What does an older workforce mean?

• Think about
• Shift length
• Benefit design
• Requests-winters off/summers off
• Environmental requirements-lighting, temp, etc
• Lifting requirements

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Thoughts/Implications

• Most predictions are for dramatic healthcare
  workforce shortages in the future.
• Workers will be older, even those just entering
  healthcare.
• We will be dependent on older workers.

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Factors that Adversely Affect Retention

• Presence of centralized nursing stations
• Long hallways
• High patient census
• Challenging work schedules
• Lack or inconsistent use of bedside lifting
  devices

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Summary

• Increase need for health care workers-soon to be
  Wisconsins largest industry segment
• Increase in the aging population-Wisconsin aging
  fast
• Future labor force growth slowdown-fewer new
  workers entering the workforce
• Economy is keeping people at work-Older Workforce

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Thank You

• Judy Warmuth, PhD, RN
• Wisconsin Hospital Association
• Jwarmuth_at_wha.org
• 608-274-1820