T

he widening gap between residents in need of long-term care and those able to provide it, which the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects to reach 20% by 2020, is news to few. But it’s one thing to anticipate the problem and another to do something about it. In this month’s cover feature, “The Nursing Shortage: Details, Dynamics, and Solutions,” Melissa M. Knybel discusses ways that facility management can narrow the gap, including: understanding the high costs of staff turnover, learning effective hiring practices, developing a behavioral interview approach, implementing an employee retention program, and consulting with a nursing staff agency.
       In the “Director’s Chair” column, Lori Brown, RNC, BSN, NHA, stresses the importance of creative career ladders to retain and attract employees. While nurses in the past may have been content to work in the same position for 10–20 years, she writes, many of today’s applicants ask about growth opportunities while interviewing for jobs. To ignore that new reality is to fall behind the curve.
       The common thread between the articles is the importance of listening to current staff—the persons who have the most to lose or gain from solutions implemented to curb staff shortages. Whether it’s offering things as simple as recognition and rewards or those as expensive as tuition assistance or reimbursement, the key is to make staff members feel appreciated and valued.
       Also included in this issue is news on a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposal to require long-term care facilities to install sprinkler systems if they wish to continue serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries as well as articles on the following topics: diagnosing and treating bipolar disorder, the latest approaches to the accurate staging of pressure ulcers, building the future of senior dining, safety assessment in home care, and understanding Minimum Data Set (MDS) Quality Indicators/Quality Measures (QI/QM) reports.
       We hope you enjoy this issue and wish you and yours a healthy and happy holiday season.