Healthcare Leadership Practices: How to Conquer Nursing Shortages by Improving Engagement and Retention, explores the root causes of the enduring nursing shortages, its effects in the current healthcare environment, and strategies to conquer the shortages.

Appropriate nurse staffing levels are critical to providing optimal quality of care, proactively and effectively mitigate clinical risks, and maintain safe environments of care for patients. Why is the nursing shortage taking such a long time to resolve? What role can healthcare organizations play to stop the bleeding, engage nurses, and increase retention in the nursing workforce?

In this book, Dr. Bell leverages results of an outstanding study at a 493 bed Magnet-designated acute care hospital to shed perspectives from clinical professionals on plausible strategies to curb the nursing shortage. The establishment, sustainability and standardization of processes and strategies that support nurses' work environments rest upon the shoulders of healthcare leaders.

She confirms that fixing the nursing shortage is not easy but we can begin resolving the problem by understanding what nurses say will motivate them, curb attrition, and increase engagement and retention rates. Organizational culture, leadership practices and shared values are significant in the engagement and retention of nurses. Clinical leadership styles need to evolve to incorporate leadership practices that are desirable for nursing work environments.