The ongoing staffing crisis afflicting the long-term care industry may meet its match thanks to the latest initiative by a national nursing group.
This week, the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing launched its LTPAC Nurse Heroes campaign, which aims to increase awareness about long-term care and post-acute care nursing options for students entering the workforce. The industry is expected to see a loss of more than 60% of its current registered nurse workforce over the next 15 years, the group noted.
“Staffing is a top concern of our members,” AAPACN President and CEO Tracey Moorhead said. “With the LTPAC Nurse Heroes campaign, we plan to address this issue by raising awareness of career options and highlighting leadership opportunities in [long-term care and post-acute care] settings.”
The organization plans to highlight demographic trends and opportunities for nurses in the long-term and post-acute care sectors through the campaign. The stories will then be shared to nursing school students and instructors, and other associations through social media.
The campaign will also focus on recruitment, and feature tools and resources for recruiters, HR managers and staff development coordinators who work in long-term care and post-acute care.
“AAPACN members are the most passionate advocates for LTPAC nursing careers,” Amy Stewart, AAPACN vice president of curriculum development, added. “Through the LTPAC Nurse Heroes campaign, our members will share their stories in video interviews, podcast series, and articles.”
The ongoing workforce shortage has been a top concern for providers in recent years. Earlier this month, LeadingAge named it is a top policy priority for 2020.
The shortage could worsen under current industry conditions after a December report found that the average hourly wage that caregivers and certified nursing assistants are willing to work for increased. The report suggested that long-term care operators would soon have to compete harder to ensure their businesses can compete and retain workers.
