Running head: STAFFING BALANCED SCORECARD 1
Staffing Balanced Scorecard
Name
Usually, as part of their efforts to understand their performance, firms rely on financial metrics. For example, they examine the trend in profits to determine whether their operations have yielded improvements in performance. While the financial metrics enable the organizations to determine the effect of the interventions that they implement, they do not provide a complete picture. The balanced scorecard approach enables the companies to develop a more comprehensive portrayal of their operations. In addition to considering the financial metrics, the firms could also include such other measures as customer feedback when assessing their performance. Healthcare institutions can also benefit from the adoption of balanced scorecards. In particular, to addressing the nursing shortage problem, the institutions can use the balanced scorecard to better understand how human resource management practices help to tackle or compound the problem.
Nursing shortage is a challenge that the US healthcare system has grappled with for decades. In their text, Haddad and Toney-Butler (2019) caution that unless the US successfully recruits at least 1.1 million nurses, the shortage will continue to bite. The nursing shortage has had adverse impacts on the delivery of care. For example, the shortage means that the existing nurses are overworked, thereby suffering fatigue and stress (Nolte, Downing, Temane & Hastings-Tolsma, 2017). Furthermore, as a result of the shortage, patients do not receive adequate care and errors have become common. In the following section, a look at how the various steps of the hiring process can be combined with the balanced scorecard approach to tackle the nursing shortage challenge. The discussion below reveals how the various metrics of nursing shortage can be used to understand the overall problem of shortage and the impacts that the interventions being implemented to address the problem are having.
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Number of nurses applied
One of the benefits of the balanced scorecard approach is that it offers a deeper, more detailed and comprehensive outlook on the performance of an organization. It is for this reason that this approach would be highly beneficial when attempting to address nursing shortage. Among the issues that should be considered is the number of nurses who apply for an open position. This number sheds light on a wide range of issues. For example, when a few applicants express interest in the position, this could be an indication that the nursing profession is not attractive. On the other hand, if the response to the open position is overwhelming, it will be clear that the profession is indeed prestigious. This would confirm the views of such scholars as Koontz, Mallory, Burns and Chapman (2010) who describe nursing as “… a caring profession with nurses acting as advocates and direct care givers” (p. 243). In essence, the number of applicants will highlight how perceptions of nursing fuels or helps to tackle the shortage.
Number of nurses rejected
The proportion of nurses who apply and are rejected is another metric that will allow for a deeper understanding of the shortage problem to be gained. For example, suppose that a worryingly high number of the applicants are rejected. To understand this issue, the organization could seek to determine the cause of the rejections. Cook (2017) explained that in some cases, nurse applicants do not have the required education to warrant board certification. Thus, their applications are not considered. The nursing profession is undergoing constant changes and practitioners need to keep up through training and practice (Cook, 2017). A high number of rejections could be an indication that educational institutions are failing to equip nursing students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes that they need to excel in the workplace.
Number of nurses interviewed
Those whose applications are not rejected will definitely be invited for the interviews. The number of applicants who present themselves for the interview is also an important component of the balanced scorecard as it highlights how various components of nursing education and practice either worsen or solve the shortage problem. For example, if few applicants are interviewed, this can be taken as indication as low levels of interest in the nursing profession. In essence, the number of interviewees sheds light on larger and more complex issues that define the nursing profession. By closely examining this number, the profession makes progress in addressing the underlying causes of the shortage. Further, it is important to acknowledge that through interviewing, the recruitment team determines whether a candidate demonstrates potential for organizational fit (Rask & Smith, n.d.). The implication is that he or she will be able to work in a given environment and adjust to tasks given or any other work-related demands.
Number of nurses disqualified
Disqualifications are unfortunate for both applicants and the organization seeking to fill a position. However, the number of disqualified candidates is still a vital metric that can be integrated into efforts to address nurse shortage. For example, suppose that nearly all those who apply are disqualified. The grounds for disqualification range from failure to satisfy requirements to fraud and canvassing (Cook, 2017) When the recruiting organization scrutinizes the reasons for qualification, they are able to develop a clearer understanding of how such issues as compliance with recruitment instructions and competence influence the hiring process. They are then able to take steps to limit disqualification and ensure that all those who possess the required qualifications are offered positions.
Number of nurses offered
Being offered a position is the dream that all applicants have. The segment of the applicants who receive offers enable the wider nursing community to better understand the dynamics of the profession. For instance, the number of candidates who receive offers can be compared to the number of initial applicants. This ratio will serve as a representation of the success of the recruitment process. If the ratio is low, it can be concluded that the recruitment process was a failure. A case in point is Massachusetts whereby voters rejected a nursing standard that would mandate nurse-to-patient ratios be based on the type of unit and level of care given (Joaquin, 2019). Thus, such a standard would affect the number of positions offered at a particular level of care and type of unit. On the other hand, a high number of offers would indicate that the process has been successful. More importantly, a majority of the applicants receiving offers would suggest that the training that nursing educational institutions offer ready students for the demands of the profession. Furthermore, there will be a basis to be optimistic that the nursing profession will eventually solve the shortage problem.
Number of nurses hired
Hiring is the eventual goal of the recruitment exercise. The staffing balanced scorecard must integrate the number of nurses who are eventually hired. This number of is loaded with insight. First, the number represents the overall level of interest in the profession. A low number would indicate little interest. Second, the number sheds light on the fairness of the recruitment process. If few candidates are hired, it could be that the recruitment process was needlessly vigorous and that it locked out qualified candidates. In real life, such a situation demonstrates the rising cases of shortages in nurse-to-patient ratio which tend to have considerable negative outcomes for both patients and nurses (Joaquin, 2019). Thirdly, the population of the hired nurses serves as an indication of whether the shortage problem can be fixed. If the recruitment process only yields a few hires, it can be concluded that the shortage challenge will only worsen unless urgent interventions are implemented. On the other hand, a high number of recruits should embolden the nursing profession as it indicates that progress is being made in efforts to solve the shortage challenge.
Conclusion
The balanced scorecard approach enables organizations to adopt a broad perspective when seeking to determine their performance. While this approach would benefit any organization, it is particularly useful for the nursing profession which is struggling to attract practitioners. By embracing the balanced scorecard approach, the profession can make strides in motivating students to apply for nursing positions. As they progress through the various stages of the recruitment process, the applicants enable nursing organizations to better understand such issues as the impact of education and whether more concerted efforts are needed. There is no doubt that the balanced scorecard approach holds the key to helping the profession to persuade students to aspire to become nurses who dedicate their effort and lives to delivering care.
References
Cook, C. J. (2017). The Emergency Nurse Practitioner Board Certification Examination: The purpose, process, and eligibility. Journal of Emergency Nursing,43 (5), 464-466. doi:10.1016/j.jen.2017.05.015
Haddad, L. M., & Toney-Butler, T. J. (2019). Nursing shortage. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing.
Joaquin, J. (2019). Mandating Nurse-to-Patient Ratios. AJN, American Journal of Nursing,119 (5), 10. doi:10.1097/01.naj.0000557893.90618.ae
Mallory, A. M., Mallory, J. L., Burns, J. A., & Chapman, S. (2010). Staff nurses and students: the good, the bad, and the ugly. MEDSURG Nursing, 19 (4), 240-245.
Nolte, A. G. W., Downing, G., Temane, A., & Hastings-Tolsma, M. (2017). Compassion fatigue in nurses: a metasynthesis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26 (23-24), 4634-78.
Rask, R. & Smith, L. (n.d.). Principles of peer interviewing. Retrieved from http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/rs/2006/17rasksmith.pdf
