Recruitment and retention of frontline nursing staff - a health challenge.

Background: Many healthcare organisations across the world are faced with challenges of recruitment and retention of frontline nursing staff, with predictions of severe nursing shortages in years to come, not only posing a challenge to the provision of nursing care that meets the expected patient outcomes. These challenges with recruitment and retention will present with patient safety risks, complicated by a growth in global population of patients living longer with multiple complex comorbidities requiring ongoing nursing care. The demands on nursing provision are also exacerbated by an improved community empowerment, global health literacy and digital health as people are now accessing health information via the internet – and in some cases self-diagnosing, before presenting to a healthcare professional. In addition to some of the above mentioned global challenges, many communities are adopting the nuclear family model which means there is a likelihood of a huge future dependence on the provision of frontline nursing care. Aim: To explore why healthcare organisations are failing to recruit and retain frontline nursing staff. Objectives: To explore organisations’ understanding of factors influencing recruitment and retention of frontline nursing staff. To explore how organisations are addressing the recruitment and retention of frontline nursing staff. Method: Published literature informed by qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research findings was analysed to ascertain factors influencing recruitment and retention of frontline nursing staff. In addition to the above grey literature from World Health Organisation, independent bodies and government organisations across the world was also examined. Conclusion: Reports and studies from both developed and developing nations have identified that recruitment and retention of frontline nursing staff is influenced by multiple factors. Most of the factors are generally similar, with models designed to address them in some regions or countries. It is imperative that challenges with frontline nursing staff recruitment and retention needs are addressed, given the predicted threat of frontline nursing shortage within the near future