Reflecting on the trainee nurse associate role uptake and impact

Sam Foster, Chief Nurse, Oxford University Hospitals, considers the lessons from research into the trainee nurse associate role and the implications for workforce planning

Trends and Issues in Strategic Human Resources Management

The key function of human resources will continue to play a key role in the process of firms' future planning. The chapter has highlighted, discussed, and explored key activities at the strategic levels of human resource management and planning including introductory comments and definitions of current understanding of HRM, the flexible firm, HRM planning and its benefits, HRM planning at the strategic levels, the role of individuals within their wider teams and organisations, and the development of technological advancement and its reflection in the planning process for HRM leading to further embedding of virtual aspects and activities. Furthermore, the chapter also included current practices of outsourcing and different key stages of workforce planning. The chapter aimed to enhance application by providing several practical discussions and case studies reflecting current trends in HRM at a strategic level.

The Future of Workforce Planning

This chapter examines the future of workforce planning in contemporary work organisations. Workforce planning is regarded as one of the essential human resource management (HRM) activities in recent times. The reason is that it gives indication on areas of needs and serves as the pillar for all HRM activities such as job analysis, recruitment and selection, training and development, remuneration/rewards, and promotion. A review of empirical literature reveals that workforce planning has a strong relationship with organisational performance as well as productivity. This chapter submits that HR metrics and workforce analytics can be used as a tool to improve organisational outcomes. To boost human activity, intelligence apps and analytics or cognitive analytics robotics could be adopted to improve HR's value to the business.

Strategic Workforce Planning Under Uncertainty

A new study in the INFORMS journal Operations Research proposes a data-driven model for conducting strategic workforce planning in organizations. The model optimizes for recruitment and promotions by balancing the risks of not meeting headcount, budget, and productivity constraints, while keeping within a prescribed organizational structure. Analysis using the model indicates that there are increased workforce risks faced by organizations that are not in a state of growth or organizations that face limitations to organizational renewal (such as bureaucracies).

The Nurse Practitioner Workforce in Western Canada: A Cross-Sectional Practice Analysis Comparison

Regular examination of health workforce data is essential given the pace of health system and legislative changes. Health workforce studies pertaining to nurse practitioner (NP) practice are needed to examine the gaps between work activities, policy, human resource supply, or for population needs. Jurisdictional comparison studies can provide essential information about NP practice for governments to respond to health workforce deficiencies or engage in service planning. In Canada, there is limited provincial-territorial jurisdictional NP workforce data to support health planning or policy change. This descriptive cross-sectional study was to examine the similarities and differences in practice patterns of Canadian NPs. In 2016 and 2017, an electronic survey was sent to all 852 registered NPs in three Canadian provinces, yielding a large convenience sample of 375 NP respondents. The results of this study underscore the value of NPs’ extensive registered nurse expertize as well as their ability to serve diverse patient populations, work in varied healthcare settings, and provide care to medically complex patients. The study findings also show that NPs in all three jurisdictions work to their full scope of practice, in both rural and urban settings. This study is the first to compare NP workforce data across multiple Canadian jurisdictions simultaneously. Studies of this type are valuable tools for understanding the demographics, education, integration, and employment activities of NPs and can aid governments in addressing workforce planning.

Strategic workforce planning: from closing skills gaps to optimizing talent

Purpose The purpose of this APQC (American Productivity and Quality Center) research study is to understand which strategic workforce planning approaches are currently in use; whether these approaches are meeting business needs; and what workforce planning challenges organizations are facing today. Design/methodology/approach This study involved survey research with 236 valid respondents representing organizations from a wide range of industries, regions, workforce sizes and revenues. American productivity and quality center (APQC) identified 46 “best-in-class” workforce planners from among these organizations based on their consistent achievement of superior results from workforce planning. Findings Best-in-class workforce planners are doing more than closing skills gaps and reducing skills surpluses. They are optimizing talent. Leveraging technology, varied work arrangements and employee development, they assemble the optimal mix of talent to achieve business goals. Originality/value The findings provide insight into how best-in-class workforce planners build a strong foundation for effective workforce planning through the distinctive ways they use process, people, technology and time. Organizations that adopt the practices and approaches of best-in-class workforce planners can drive improvements in their own workforce planning process.