Specific Human Resource Issues in the Health Workforce

1.1 Learning Outcomes
• Critically analyse the effectiveness of recruitment and retention strategies;
• Understand the regulatory framework for human resources management, including employee relations, health professional regulation and workplace health and safety;
• Recognise the importance of organisational performance management strategies related to the workforce;
• Apply workforce redesign strategies to the health workforce;
• Acknowledge the importance of education and training strategies in workforce development;
• Utilise capability frameworks for identifying and developing skills levels of the workforce; and
• Understand the concept of a productive workforce and develop the capability to improve workforce efficiency and productivity.

1.2 Content
The content of this module will cover the following:
Topic 19: Recruitment and retention strategies;

Topic 20: Employee relations issues and other regulatory issues;

Topic 21: Organisational performance management;

Topic 22: Education and training;

Topic 23: Developing workforce redesign strategies;

Topic 24: The purpose of capability frameworks; and

Topic 25:Definitions of productivity and strategies to achieve workforce efficiency.

1.3 Readings
For this module there are a range of readings provided. Some of the readings provide information on the current regulatory framework for industrial relations in Australia and for New South Wales as an example of State and Territory regulatory frameworks and guidelines. These are readings 5.3 to 5.6 in particular. You do not need to read the whole documents – they are there as reference material as needed for your information and reference for the assignment.

Reading 5.1 is particularly important as it provides a comprehensive overview of the process of Human Resources Management (HRM) in the Australian context.
Readings 5.2a, 5.2b, and 5.2c are provided as examples of recruitment and retention in a rural and remote context.

Reading 5.1:Robbins, S.,Bergman, R., Stagg, I., & Coulter, M. (2011). Human resource management. In Management (6th Ed). Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Education. Chapter 12.
Reading 5.2a: World Health Organisation (2010). Increasing access to health workers in remote and rural areas through improved retention.
Retrieved from:
http://www.who.int/hrh/retention/guidelines/en/

Reading 5.2b:Moran, A.M., Coyle, J., Pope, R., Boxall, D., Nancarrow S.A. &Young, Y. (2014). Supervision, support and mentoring interventions for health practitioners in rural and remote contexts: an integrative review and thematic synthesis of the literature to identify mechanisms for successful outcomes. Human Resources for Health, 12:10.
Retrieved from:
http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/12/1/10

Reading 5.2c:
Morell, A.L., Kiem, S., Millsteed, M.A. &Pollice, A. (2014). Attraction, recruitment and distribution of health professionals in rural and remote Australia: early results of the Rural Health Professionals Program. Human Resources for Health, 12:15.
Retrieved from:
http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/12/1/15

Reading 5.3:NSW Government Industrial Relations (n.d.).Good recruitment practice.
Retrieved from:
http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/oirwww/Employment_info/Recruitment_and_termination/Good_recruitment_practice.page

Reading 5.4:Australian Human Resources Institute (2012). The Fair Work Act: Its’ Impact within Australian Workplaces.
Retrieved from:
https://www.ahri.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/10503/Fair_work_survey_2011-FINAL.pdf

Reading 5.5: NSW Ministry of Health (2013). Work Health and Safety: Better Practice Procedures.
Retrieved from:
http://www0.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/pd/2013/pdf/PD2013_050.pdf

Reading 5.6: NSW Department of Industrial Relations (2010).Managing Performance. Employment Essentials.
Retrieved from:
http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/biz_res/oirwww/pdfs/managing_performance.pdf

Reading 5.7:Nancarrow, S.A., Moran, A.M., & Graham, I. (2013). Preparing a 21st century workforce: is it time to consider clinically based, competency-based training of health practitioners? Australian Health Review, 38, p. 115-117.
Retrieved from:
http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1071/AH13158
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24351806
http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=AH13158

Reading 5.8: Laurant, M., et. al. (2010) Revision of professional roles and quality improvement: a review of the evidence. The Health Foundation. London.
Retrieved from:
http://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/RevisionOfProfessionalRolesAndQualityImprovement_ReviewOfEvidence.pdf

Reading 5.9:Skills for Health Case Studies.
Retrieved from:
http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/about-us/case-studies-section.aspx

Reading 5.10: Thompson, C., Williams, K., and Masso, M. (2014). HWA Expanded Scopes of Practice Progam National Synthesis. Centre for Health Service Development, Australian Health Services Research Institute, Wollongong.
Retrieved from:
http://ro.uow.edu.au/ahsri/374/

Reading 5.11: Bohmer, R.M.J., and Imison, C. (2013). Lessons from England’s Health Care Workforce Redesign: No Quick Fixes. Health Affairs. November 2013, 32:11.
Retrieved from World Wide Web:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24191096

Reading 5.12: NSW Public Service Commission (2013). The NSW Public Sector Capability Framework.

Retrieved from:
http://www.psc.nsw.gov.au/Sector-Support/Capability-Framework

Reading 5.13: Appleby, J., Ham, C., Imison, C., & Jennings, M.(2010). Improving NHS productivity: More with the same not more of the same. The King’s Fund.
Retrieved from:
http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/files/kf/field/field_publication_file/improving-nhs-productivity-kings-fund-july-2010.pdf

Reading 5.14: Appleby, J., Galea, A., & Murray, R.(2015). The NHS productivity challenge: Experience from the front line. The King’s Fund.
Retrieved from:
http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/files/kf/field/field_publication_file/the-nhs-productivity-challenge-kingsfund-may14.pdf