Current health care literature is replete with recent accounts of severe health care professional personnel shortages adversely impacting patient care and creating staffing dilemmas (Aiken, 1989; Arnwine, 1990; Boyd et al, 1990; Caine, 1990; Carter, 1987; Donovan, 1990; Eubanks, 1990; Greipp, 1989; Hall and Stevens, 1991; Kinney, 1991; Kirschner, 1988; Kirschner, 1989; Lomurno et aI, 1990; Mead and Nkongho, 1990; Morris, 1989; Mullner et al, 1989; Neuhs, 1991;O'Neill and Vocke, 1990; Perry, 1991; Rich and Aldridge, 1988; Rosenbach, 1990; Shepard, 1990; Stubson and White, 1988; Wagner, 1991; Warner and Grohman, 1990; and Werkema, 1990). This epidemic of insufficient professional health care manpower is widespread and touches literally all the health care professions. A listing of the significant health care articles on professional staffing shortages published during the last 10-years-plus period was obtained from a database search of the HEALTHPLAN 1981--8/91SilverPlatterTM (National Library of Medicine, 1991). This listing provides the results of a comprehensive literature search of articles pertaining to professional staffing shortages by discipline. Results

Determinants of rural hospital utilization of multiskilled health practitioners.

Due to various external factors, recruitment through traditional methods, such as newspaper ads, failed to produce the pool of applicants for hospital pharmacy staff positions it had in the past. As a result of this and other factors specific to University Hospital, the number of staff pharmacists decreased from 11 to four full-time equivalents (FTEs). The number of technicians dropped to the point where per diem nurses had to be hired to help make IV admixtures. Through some short-term measures (salary increases, intensive recruitment efforts, etc), the number of pharmacist and technician vacancies was reduced by 60%. However, a long-range recruitment/retention plan was needed to achieve full staffing and to prevent such drastic staffing shortages in the future. The four components of the plan that was developed included: commitment to provide for full-time human resources management, improved forecasting of personnel turnover, supply, and demand, design and implementation of retention strategies, and design and implementation of innovative recruitment programs. Seven months after initiation of much of the plan, there was no pharmacist turnover and minimal technician turnover. In fact, one pharmacist stays on staff despite relocation 90 miles away. Almost all positions are filled, despite a large number of openings at other institutions in the area.

D S Rich

Papers

Developing a successful recruitment/retention plan for hospital pharmacy personnel.