We all know that turnover is notoriously high in senior care and continues to be a problem year after year. It affects everyone and everything involved including care staff, residents, operations, budget and leadership. While most turnover is in nursing, especially among nursing assistants, leaders leave too, and for many reasons. Whether its lack of appreciation from corporate, too much pressure and stress, or a better job prospect has emerged, administrators and directors of nursing are leaving at alarmingly high rates. Wouldn’t it make sense then, to attempt to stabilize care communities with interim leadership?
Interim Staff May be The Answer
While most people don’t like change, especially at work, interim staffing can be a positive and effective way to cut losses and other negative effects of high employee turnover, even at the highest positions in the building. Losing employees simply costs too much. Losing administrators and others in leadership positions costs even more in finances, time, productivity, morale, and more. While a leader is absent, filling the position with someone capable, energized, and knowledgeable may be the answer to keeping focus on the core aspects of the business and fill the needs without any heavy training costs. Today, many administrators and directors of nursing have made a new career out of floating in and out of senior care communities in need of an interim leader.
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Leadership in health care? Checkout my Leadership CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)
Some Benefits of Interim Leadership
Factually and anecdotally, interim leadership appears to have many positive outcomes. Sometimes the fit between the placeholder administrator and the culture of the care community is so good that he or she stays and becomes a full-time employee. One benefit is continuity in work and care while there is a new leader in the building. No one is slacking because mom or dad isn’t around, so to speak. It can be very easy for productivity and work ethic to become relaxed while there is no one in charge. And while we’re on the topic of slacking off, what about the employees who are not slowing down just because there is no administrator or director of nursing around? They may become particularly stressed due to picking up the pace of their co-workers and may even become burned out and leave. This is an unwanted trickle-down effect that sometimes happens to good employees.
An interim leader can also greatly benefit customer service, quality and continuity of care, and the image and reputation of the care community. Residents and families form relationships with administrators and directors of nursing. They look to them for not only their leadership, but for their friendship. Having no one at the helm may leave a hole in the heart of the facility, leaving residents and families with a loss in a relationship that they valued and relied on. The interim leader can fill that gap and become a new friend to residents and families, until the next permanent administrator is hired. While the full-time leader is absent, an interim can create a smooth transition from one administrator to the next, and in doing so create continuity in many areas, especially in relationships.
One last benefit of the interim leader is an important one, and could have lasting effects for quite some time. The temporary administrator can “save face” for the facility and company. In other words, he or she can step in, save or even better, enhance the reputation of the care community. This can be even more important if there is a chronic turnover problem among leadership. And, the reputation isn’t only outside of the building, its inside among employees who become disenchanted and discouraged by the revolving door.
The Bottom Line on Interim Leadership
While employee turnover continues to be a problem year after year, especially among leadership, interim administrators and directors of nursing can be exactly what the doctor ordered. These are critical positions that can make or break care communities. They can have very positive effects that will last for years. Some interims actually stay for long periods of time or cross over to become full-time administrators and directors of nursing. They can become a significant part of the success of a company and continue to move progress forward. So, why not give them a try?
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Leadership in health care? Checkout my Leadership CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)