A decade ago, it was difficult to get a full-time position at St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, says Aimee Oien, a union rep for the hospital’s nurses and other staff. Turnover was low. Most staff started in per diem or on-call roles.
The last several years — even before the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the health care sector — have been different, she says. Positions across all departments are posted more frequently and sit vacant longer.
“It takes me back to, what can be done to make the hospital stand out? What can be done to make people think of St. Michael over other hospitals?” said Oien, a rep with UFCW 3000. “I’m a firm believer that if you change the working conditions, the people will come.”
Recruiting and retaining staff has become more challenging for hospitals across the state, including on the Kitsap Peninsula. Reports from industry groups and state agencies show major workforce shortages. Hospitals compete for a dwindling pool of applicants.
Hoping to reverse course, state legislators, industry groups and unions collaborated on an expanded hospital staffing law last year that is just starting to take effect.