Multigenerational Workforce
For the first time in history, four generations work side by side
Traditionalist - born prior to 1946
Boomers - born 1946-1964
Generation X - born 1965-1981
Generation Y – born 1982-2000
(Lester, Standifer, Schultz & Windsor, 2012)
Multigenerational impact on the healthcare practitioner shortage
- Several healthcare occupations are facing labour shortage.
- Pressures are particularly acute for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical technologists and technicians and assisting occupations in support of health services (HRSDC, 2007).
- The estimated nursing shortage in Canada by 2016 will be 100 000 (Laschinger, Wilk, Cho & Greco, 2009).
- Therefore it is more important than ever that organizations leverage the knowledge, skills and abilities of all workers—from all generations by capitalizing on the strengths and values of different generations.
Different perspectives, different needs
Potential tensions and conflicts between different generations can be attributed to a lack of understanding among cohorts resulting from disparity in values, cognitions, and behaviors, and such outcomes can negatively affect organizational dynamics ( Lester et al ., 2012).
Empowerment is a value perceived to cause differences among the generations in the work place (Lester et al., 2012).
Empowerment is a value perceived to cause differences among the generations in the work place (Lester et al., 2012).
Empowerment and New Graduates
Due to their limited experience and young age, new nursing graduates face dramatic adjustments upon entering the workforce and managing uncertainties in the workplace. Consequently, structural supports are particularly important for their sense of efficacy.
Empowerment contributes to the new graduates’ feelings of being engaged with their work, suggesting that access to information, support, resources and other work empowerment structures are fundamental to the work experience.
Given the strong effect of empowering conditions, it is important for nurse managers and experienced nursing colleagues to do what is necessary to sustain high levels of engagement. They can do this by valuing new graduate's innovative ideas in patient care processes despite their relative lack of experience in the profession (Laschinger et al., 2009).
Empowerment contributes to the new graduates’ feelings of being engaged with their work, suggesting that access to information, support, resources and other work empowerment structures are fundamental to the work experience.
Given the strong effect of empowering conditions, it is important for nurse managers and experienced nursing colleagues to do what is necessary to sustain high levels of engagement. They can do this by valuing new graduate's innovative ideas in patient care processes despite their relative lack of experience in the profession (Laschinger et al., 2009).
Empowerment and the Older Generation
The strong mediating effect of empowerment in the experienced workforce suggests that engagement is just as important a mechanism for this group and also leads to a sense of work efficacy.
When older nurses have the tools and resources they need to practice professionally, they become fully engaged and experience greater job satisfaction (Laschinger et al., 2009).
When older nurses have the tools and resources they need to practice professionally, they become fully engaged and experience greater job satisfaction (Laschinger et al., 2009).
•Workplaces that provide comfortable environments, offer a variety of positions for continued employment and equitable pay will likely satisfy the Generation X workers.
•Traditionalists value advancement, status, and recognition, so work tasks that provide opportunities to develop into new positions and provide formalized acknowledgement of accomplishments, would likely satisfy workers of this generation and retain their talent in the workforce longer.
•Traditionalists value advancement, status, and recognition, so work tasks that provide opportunities to develop into new positions and provide formalized acknowledgement of accomplishments, would likely satisfy workers of this generation and retain their talent in the workforce longer.