Addressing the emergency nursing staffing shortage: Implementing an internship using a nursing school instructor model

Abstract

Our emergency department experienced an increasing registered nurse (RN) vacancy rate of up to 30%, partly as a result of positions added to accommodate increased patient volume and partly because of staff attrition. Agency nurses were used to meet staffing needs but have proved costly, and, we believe, result in less of a department identity and less cohesiveness. With few experienced emergency nurses applying, we looked for a creative way to recruit and retain new staff. Because we were convinced that the shortage of experienced ED nurses was pervasive and long-standing—other area hospitals were experiencing similar vacancy rates and recruiting challenges—we decided to “grow our own.” We began to recruit nurses interested in transitioning to the specialty of emergency nursing, offering a comprehensive “internship” that would include classroom teaching, self-study, and extended clinical orientation.