Job seekers search for healthcare jobs in Rhode Island

Posted on May 6, 2013

More and more healthcare workers are searching for additional healthcare jobs in Rhode Island, for various reasons.

More than a third (34 percent) of health care workers plan to look for a new job in 2013, up from 24 percent last year. Nearly half (45 percent) plan to look for a new job over the next two years. Eighty-two percent said that while they are not actively looking for a job today, they would be open to a new position if they came across the right opportunity. This is according to CareerBuilder’s latest survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive between February 11 and March 6, 2013, among more than 500 U.S. health care workers and more than 240U.S. health care employers.

Sixty percent of health care workers say they are burned out on their jobs. Twenty-one percent always or often feel burned out. Of workers who feel always or often burned out, 67 percent plan to look for a new job this year.

Employers said their top staffing challenge for 2013 was lifting employee morale (34 percent). This was followed by retaining top talent (33 percent), finding skill workers (32 percent) and offering competitive compensation (30 percent).

More than one-third of health care employers (34 percent) said they currently have open positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates. Among health care organizations with more than 50 employees, that number is 43 percent.

“Not only are health care organizations dealing with a shortage of high skill workers, they are facing higher demand fueled by an aging population and more Americans having access to medical benefits,” said Jason Lovelace, president of CareerBuilder Healthcare. “Nearly half – 46 percent – of health care organizations said they have seen a negative impact on their organizations due to extended job vacancies.* Long hours and juggling multiple patient needs are taking their toll on morale and retention. The survey shows health care workers are seeking a more manageable work experience.”

Seventy-five percent of health care workers say they do not earn their desired salary – with 29 percent saying not anywhere near it. While 44 percent of health care workers say they received a merit raise in 2012, 17 percent say they haven’t received one since before 2008.

Four in ten health care workers (41 percent) say they have not received a cost-of-living increase since before 2008.

Eighteen percent of workers said they are dissatisfied with their work/life balance, and when asked what is preventing them from having a good work/life balance the highest percentage cited a workload that is too heavy (44 percent), followed by their employer’s unwillingness to provide flexible work schedules (21 percent).

Nearly three in ten (29 percent) health care workers say they are currently trying to acquire skills in a new industry or field. Of these workers, 54 percent are going back to school, 18 percent are volunteering, and 7 percent are taking on temporary or contract work.