Evaluation of a proactive hiring model to achieve workforce stability in the intensive care unit

Aim: The purpose was to evaluate an innovative Prospective Hiring Equation to determine registered nurse hiring needs.

Background: The American Organization for Nursing Leadership identifies human resource management as a competency for nurse managers, yet calculations to determine when and how many registered nurses to hire are not readily available.

Methods: We implemented an educational intervention to teach nurse mangers the Prospective Hiring Equation. We evaluated the processes (adoption and confidence) and outcomes (vacancy rates) using a pre-evaluation/postevaluation design in a single cohort of nurse managers (n = 9). We used a statistical process control chart to depict mean differences in vacancy rate at baseline and 6-month postimplementation.

Results: Participants (n = 9) were on average 43 years' old, female, and had 2.94 (SD = 2.66) years' of nurse manager experience. Following implementation of the intervention, the combined vacancy rates of the intensive care units improved by 11.8% (SD = 7), and use of agency nurses decreased by 42.5% (premedian = 7.2, interquartile ratio = 3.6, 10.8; postmedian = 1.8, interquartile ratio 0.9, 8.55).

Conclusions: The Prospective Hiring Equation may be a useful tool to improve nurse managers human resource management competencies.

Implications for nursing management: The Prospective Hiring Equation may help nurse managers improve accuracy when evaluating hiring needs.