Workforce Management - Online Course

As part of the Director-Level Nurse Leadership Program, this course helps nurse leaders make informed workforce decisions across the employee lifecycle—from recruitment and onboarding to performance management, retention, and conflict resolution. Learners focus on practical leadership actions that improve workforce stability, support staff accountability, and strengthen team performance. The emphasis is on building and maintaining effective teams in the face of ongoing staffing challenges.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

This course helps director-level nurse leaders make stronger workforce decisions across the employee lifecycle—from recruitment and onboarding through performance, retention, and conflict management—so they can build stable, accountable, effective teams. It focuses on practical leader actions that improve workforce readiness, support staff performance, strengthen retention, and help organizations respond more strategically to staffing challenges.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Recruitment and Workforce Planning
1. Identify recruitment approaches that improve candidate quality and organizational fit.
2. Apply workforce planning concepts to anticipate staffing needs and align recruitment strategies with organizational priorities.
2. Performance Management and Accountability
1. Apply core performance management principles to support staff accountability and professional growth.
2. Use structured goal-setting approaches to clarify expectations and measure progress.
3. Identify appropriate corrective action approaches when performance issues arise.
3. Orientation and Onboarding
1. Define onboarding and explain its importance in supporting employee engagement and retention.
2. Differentiate onboarding from socialization in the employee transition process.
3. Identify key components of an effective onboarding process, including planning, role clarity, and early engagement strategies.
4. Staff Development and Retention
1. Explain the nurse leader’s role in supporting staff development and competency.
2. Identify factors that influence staff satisfaction and retention, including organizational culture and workplace environment.
3. Describe strategies leaders can use to strengthen staff engagement and retention.
4. Recognize leadership practices that support equitable workforce management, including fair scheduling and development opportunities.
5. Describe strategies leaders can use to strengthen staff engagement and retention.
5. Conflict and Relationship Management
1. Recognize leadership behaviors that build trust and strengthen working relationships.
2. Apply practical approaches for addressing workplace conflict early and effectively.

CONTENT REVIEWERS

Michael Cooper, Ph.D., MSN, RN, CCRN, HACP-CMS, ACUE
Dr. Michael Cooper, Ph.D., MSN, RN, CCRN, HACP-CMS, ACUE is an executive nurse leader with over 35 years of nursing experience, including 28 years in the United States Army Nurse Corps. He has served in traditional nurse executive leadership positions in critical care, from the bedside to Chief Nursing Officer, across inpatient and outpatient care settings, with a wide variety of additional skill sets, including Veteran Affairs Liaison, Telehealth, Inspector General, and Healthcare Recruiting. Dr. Cooper serves as an Assistant Professor of Nursing, Arkansas State University, in the Traditional BSN/Accelerated Program of Nursing.

Jason King, DNP, RN, CENP, FAONL
Jason King, DNP, RN, CENP, FAONL is a Chief Operating Officer, Chief Nursing Officer. In healthcare for 21 years, Jason received his Doctor of Nursing Practice from the Indiana University School of Nursing. Receiving fourteen awards for nursing excellence since 2002, this year, Jason was inducted as a Fellow into the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. Jason is an active participant in seven organizations/boards and has twice been published in Simulation Research.

AUTHORS BY SECTION

Recruitment and Workforce Planning
Rose Constantino, PhD, JD, MN, BSN, FAAN, FACFE

Performance Management and Accountability
India Owens, MSN, RN, CEN, NE-BC, FAEN

Orientation and Onboarding
Michelle Boyce, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CEN

Staff Development and Retention
Michelle Boyce, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CEN