The healthcare sector may be one of the most stable industries but it does not mean that this sector is free from any problem. One of the problems that the healthcare industry is facing is the retention of nurses. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing stated that by the year 2020, the American healthcare commerce would be short of 800,000 nurses.



This scarcity of nurses in the industry has not gone unnoticed. Studies have been made to determine the reason why more and more registered nurses are leaving their profession to pursue another career. For those who are familiar with the inner workings in the said industry, the result would not come as a surprise. According to the study, nurses leave the healthcare industry because of the lack of opportunity for career advancement.

Registered nurses just like any professionals would strive to advance their career. Each has his or her own reason but at the end of the day, it cannot be denied that this lack of opportunity for career advancement is hurting the healthcare industry. Studies have shown that only a small percentage of registered nurses believe that they have a chance for advancement.

This is not really a new problem since as early as 1972; a system has been presented to the industry to make sure that registered nurses will be rewarded for their diligence and services to the sector. The arrival of these CLPs or clinical ladder programs has been refined through decades to reward registered nurses based on different criteria. There are those aimed towards education, research, leadership, and clinical skills.

There are three levels in the ladder and newly hired registered nurses start at level I. There are several things a registered nurse has to complete before the advancement committee can decide whether he or she is eligible to advance in the clinical ladder. Due to different reasons, nurses forego the submission of their name for advancement. This is what creates a void in the healthcare industry. After all, these nurses need more than lab coats to continue their profession and to provide for them and their family.

The retention of registered nurses is important to the whole sector, a whole lot important than acquiring high quality white lab coats. Newly-hired registered nurses may have learned everything they have been taught in school but that is not enough. These new nurses need the company of mature and experienced nurses. After all, a new nurse would need not only a new lab coat but also the guiding presence of a mentor.

With more and more nurses leaving their posts, how can the healthcare sector expect mentors to guide new nurses? The answer lies in keeping registered nurses satisfied. The whole industry should look inward for solution to this challenge. Nurses are very important for the healthcare sector so this challenge needs to be addressed immediately. After all, it is only a natural practice in all industry to keep workers satisfied to ensure that they will not only leave but perform at their highest level.