written by: Melanie Wong
This is the question that all our clients want to know. How exactly does HHQ attract such high-quality RNs? And how do we keep them? Well, we’re here to share five of our secrets with you.
1. Referrals
Referrals are as good as gold in this industry. At HHQ, we believe that good people will refer good people, a theory that has been tried and tested. Current staff members of HHQ who refer potential new candidates know that these employment suggestions will be taken on board, and we believe that there is no one as trustworthy as the staff who are constantly working hard to deliver the best level of care possible. This ensures that HHQ is built on a foundation of trust, respect and an expectation of all parties to support each other.
2. Staff support and encouragement
Especially in times like these when the healthcare industry is under more stress than ever, it’s important to support our staff, who work in positions of high demand with high levels of responsibility. We prioritise stepping up to support our staff’s physical, emotional and mental needs, meeting them where they are if gaps have been identified in clinical, evidence-based research. In the case of an error, which is thankfully not often seen, we work with staff to discuss how it happened, the associated factors, and how to prevent the same error from happening again with reminders that they are supported and HHQ are still confident in the work that they do.
3. Prioritise respect and acknowledgement
In addition to supporting our staff, we treat them with respect and acknowledge that the work they are doing is essential, whether this be in nurse interactions with HHQ administration or valuing our staff’s boundaries. Performance is proven to correlate with levels of staff satisfaction; when staff feel valued and appreciated, the performance will be of greater quality. Nurses are the backbones of health organisations, so it’s important to HHQ that their needs are also met.
4. Supporting them through the difficulties of agency work
Agency work is hard. Nurses are pulled from pillar to post and one placement environment can be vastly different from the last. Adaptability is therefore crucial, but so is the agency’s responsibility to remind nurses that we’re on their side. Unfortunately, some clients are quick to report agency staff who may not have ‘ticked the right box on the online software system’ or were not able to attend to a wound dressing on their understaffed shift. HHQ balance our role to always back and support our staff while recognising that clients are also doing their jobs in maintaining high standards, which is more important than ever in the health industry.
5. Flexibility of hours
One of the biggest advantages of agency work is the flexibility of working hours. At HHQ, we make sure we prioritise our staff’s schedules and requests to the best of our ability. This contributes to both the satisfaction of our staff and clients, as there are lower risks of last-minute reshuffling and our nurses are supported.
