BUSI 344 Week 6 Discussion Board Forum 6 Example

Discussion Board Forum 6: Compensation, Benefits and Total Rewards

BUSI 344 Human Resource Management in Healthcare Administration, Discussion Board Forum 6

Thread by [Student Name]

The hospital, its pay data and the classmates are composites; the textbook, Scripture and the peer-reviewed articles cited are real.

Over the past two years, our hospital raised registered nurse base pay twice, by 4% and then by 6%, after market surveys showed we had fallen behind competitors. Turnover barely moved. Exit interviews explained why: nurses who left for other hospitals often took similar pay, and many cited rigid schedules, mandatory overtime and little say over their weekends. Niles (2013) describes compensation as one component of the rewards an organization offers, alongside benefits and the conditions of work, and notes that pay must be internally fair and externally competitive. We had fixed the competitive gap but ignored the rest of the package, and the raises cost the hospital several million dollars a year without buying the stability leaders expected.

The research supports a broader view. Ramanan et al. (2026) held focus groups with nursing home staff and found that recognition, culture, flexibility and management were among the reasons they would stay, along with smaller perks. On scheduling specifically, Wynendaele et al. (2021) reviewed 23 studies of self-scheduling and found that several reported better job satisfaction, work-life balance and involvement in planning, while others found no change or negative effects, often because of how the change was introduced. Self-scheduling is not magic, but it is a benefit that costs little money when designed well, and it gives nurses something pay cannot: a measure of control over their own lives.

Our plan pilots self-scheduling on two medical-surgical units whose managers volunteered and whose nurses voted to try it. Nurses choose shifts within clear rules: a fair rotation of weekends and holidays, minimum staffing for each shift and a charge nurse who resolves gaps before the schedule posts. Human resources will compare turnover, overtime hours and satisfaction scores with two similar units for one year, and the pilot units' nurses will help revise the rules after the first three months.

Deuteronomy commanded employers to pay a hired worker his wages on the same day, before the sun set, because he is poor and counts on it (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, Deuteronomy 24:14-15). Fair pay is owed to workers; a fair schedule is how an employer shows it sees them as people with lives.

Reply to Kendra

Kendra, you argued that a single large raise would solve your hospital's retention problem. Pay certainly matters to every employee, and Niles (2013) is clear that compensation must be competitive to attract staff. But research suggests pay is rarely the only reason people leave, and a raise given without other changes can disappoint everyone who expected it to fix morale. De Vries et al. (2024), pooling studies of hospital nurses and physicians, found that burnout, support and working conditions were among the main determinants of intention to leave. Muir et al. (2026) found that heavier patient loads went along with more burnout and plans to quit, so a raise that leaves workloads unchanged may not hold nurses for long. James warns against withholding wages from laborers (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, James 5:4), so fair pay is a duty, but it may not be a complete strategy. Has your hospital asked departing nurses whether pay was their main reason, or only assumed it? Exit interview data could show whether the money would be better spent on staffing.

Reply to Andre

Andre, your idea shows real concern for staff. You proposed a wellness program with gym memberships and resilience classes. Wellness benefits can help and show that the organization cares, but research suggests they work best when they address the causes of stress rather than only its symptoms. Bolton et al. (2026) found that leadership shaped nurses' moral distress and burnout, and that honest communication and solidarity within teams did more good than individual coping strategies alone. Porter and Lyngaas (2026) raised engagement on a neonatal unit by offering incentives tied to schedules, balance between work and home and recognition, changes that alter the job itself. Niles (2013) treats benefits as part of a broader strategy, so a wellness program might be paired with changes in staffing or scheduling. Jesus invited the weary to come to Him and find rest (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, Matthew 11:28). Could your wellness program include protected breaks on every shift and a quarterly check on workload, so it treats causes as well as symptoms?

References

Bolton, S., Baldwin, A., Adams, A. M. N., Willis, E., Cutmore, E., Johnston, S., Snaith, N., & Dafny, H. A. (2026). The moral of the story: Perception of leadership with moral distress in registered nurses: A qualitative systematic review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 35(10), 4106-4123. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.70354

De Vries, N., Maniscalco, L., Matranga, D., Bouman, J., & De Winter, J. P. (2024). Determinants of intention to leave among nurses and physicians in a hospital setting during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 19(3), e0300377. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300377

English Standard Version Bible. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001)

Muir, K. J., Aiken, L. H., Brom, H., Hovsepian, V., Lasater, K. B., & McHugh, M. D. (2026). Safe minimum nurse staffing requirements for hospitals: Evidence from Pennsylvania. Medical Care, 64(7), 447-455. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000002332

Niles, N. J. (2013). Basic concepts of health care human resource management. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Porter, M., & Lyngaas, T. (2026). Incentivizing excellence: Strategies for enhancing nurse engagement through leadership. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 50(2), 83-88. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000723

Ramanan, H., Kalarchian, M., Pezzone, A., Rhoads, C., & Linkov, F. (2026). Enhancing employee retention in nursing homes through non-monetary incentives: Insights from focus groups. Geriatric Nursing, 70, 103983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2026.103983

Wynendaele, H., Gemmel, P., Pattyn, E., Myny, D., & Trybou, J. (2021). Systematic review: What is the impact of self-scheduling on the patient, nurse and organization? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(1), 47-82. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14579