We, students of the MCI program “Nonprofit, Social and Healthcare Management”, are dealing with the shortage of nursing staff in a semester project in cooperation with the Hospital Sanatorium Kettenbrücke. The focus of our project is to investigate the demands of the Generation Z on the nursing profession. The main aim is to make the nursing profession more attractive so as to attract and retain more qualified nurses for the future.
THE CHALLENGE
The need for care in our society and the demand for medical staff is constantly increasing. Few are enthusiastic about such a time-consuming and self-sacrificing job. Occupations in the fields of nursing and care for the elderly are considered as out for the Generation Z. This has a major impact on the low number of new applicants. However, hospitals and other healthcare institutions are more dependent than ever on younger generations.
OUTCOMES
Qualitative and quantitative research was used to investigate the needs of the Generation Z. Based on the analyses carried out, it can be seen that the survey, as well as the interviews, provide similar statements about the image of the care profession in terms of attractiveness to Generation Z. The result in itself is different from what was thought by literature research. It can be seen that many young people voted “no” on the question “Do you find the profession of care unattractive?” The majority of the older generation aged 26 and over were “no”. Contrary to the literature, the nursing profession proves to be attractive in this survey.
Sanatorium Kettenbrücke
- Study Program: Nonprofit, Social and Healthcare Management
- Team: Dominic Fulterer, Theresa Kapferer, Lea Kaiser, Katharina Kolb, Madlen Loretz
- Supervisor(s): FH-Prof. Dr. Nils Mevenkamp, Mag. Jolanda Baur, FH-Prof. Dr. Wei Manske-Wang, DGKP Petra Potocnik, BA MA (Sanatorium Kettenbrücke)
- Partner Organisation: Sanatorium Kettenbrücke der Barmherzigen Schwestern GmbH
- Year project was carried out: 2022
Partner Statement
Demographic developments are leading to a global shortage of skilled workers in the labour market. The nursing profession is also affected by this. The Corona pandemic is an additional accelerator that acutely reveals the precarious situation in the health sector.
Even though the Sanatorium Kettenbrücke has motivated employees and the number of applicants is good, it wants to actively face demographic change. Together with MCI students from the Nonprofit, Social and Health Management programme, the topic of "Generation Z and the nursing profession" was analysed in a project to better understand how qualified nursing staff can be recruited in the future and retained in the company.
The five students provided the Sanatorium Kettenbrücke with valuable results with regard to the needs of Generation Z as potential employees and the attractiveness of the nursing profession. The results of the study encourage the private clinic to continue on its chosen path of personnel development. Projects already initiated, such as the new internship coordination office, which offers appreciative onboarding and an individual learning curve for interns, as well as the "nursing flexipool" will be pursued further. With the "Flexipool", the individual needs of the employees in terms of working time flexibility are specifically addressed by means of reduced weekly working hours with simultaneous duty schedule security. On the other hand, the Nursing Development Unit is taking up the aspect of the lack of transparency of promotion and further development opportunities and is also thinking about creative formats here. The aim is to give the actors in the nursing profession a voice in order to show what nursing is all about. This is another way in which the Sanatorium Kettenbrücke wants to meet the needs of Generation Z.
Further Information