People management practices in the public health sector

Abstract

This study investigates the impact on human resource management (HRM) practices in the public health sector in Victoria, Australia of two different government policy environments. First, it explores the Liberal Coalition Government's decentralisation of public health sector management, from 1992-1999 and second, the Labor Government's recentralisation of employment relations in the sector. This paper focuses on three dimensions. First, it outlines the main policy directions impacting on people management in the health care sector under the different governments. Second, it explores the impact of these policy directions on HRM. Third, it discusses the implications for future directions of the practice of HRM in the public hospital sector.

Factors affecting the job stress and job satisfaction of Australian nurses: Implications for recruitment and retention

“…The Nurses Recruitment and Retention Committee (NRRC) was established by the Minister for Health and reported in 2001 outlining 86 recommendations directed at the Victorian Government, health service management, the tertiary education sector and the Commonwealth government.The report contained a number of human resource management (HRM) related recommendations including training reforms, greater Department of Human Services (DHS) monitoring of workloads, retention strategies and job re-design. Despite these policy innovations, evidence suggests that nurses continue to leave the industry in large numbers (Stanton, Bartram & Harbridge, 2004).…”

Human resource management strategies for the retention of nurses in acute care settings in hospitals in Australia

“…(Patrickson & Hartmann 2001: 200) Boxall & Purcell (cited in Stanton, Bartram & Harbridge 2004: 311) believe a more proactive approach to people management has much to offer the health sector which is labour intensive, with a highly educated workforce, that accounts for a large proportion of total costs in the health industry. HRM promotes organizational fit via the integration of organizational strategy, cultural change and dialogue between key stakeholders at the workplace.…”

A case-study about shift work management at a hospital emergency department with genetic algorithms

“…Establishing duty rosters, or work calendars, for the medical staff of a hospital emergency department does not fit into a general behavioural pattern because of the heterogeneity of such a unit's structure [6]. This heterogeneity is due to many factors, such as the extent or range of the services offered (which depends on the category of the hospital, and therefore on the hospital's catchment area), the work mode (shifts, on call, or a combination of both), the type of staff contract (full time or part-time staff member, etc.…”

“…Although there is abundant literature on the subject [6], there is nevertheless no all-encompassing solution for every single problem, as each case has its own unique constraints and characteristics.…”