Abstract
Background: Austria’s healthcare and nursing sector is currently under considerable pressure. Demographic changes, particularly the growing number of elderly individuals requiring care, are intensifying an already strained staffing situation in care facilities. This development affects a sector that is traditionally characterized by high physical and psychological demands, structurally challenging working conditions, low pay, and a lack of societal recognition. As a result, nursing is increasingly facing a critical shortage of skilled professionals. Care provider organizations are thus compelled to explore new approaches to attract and retain qualified staff. Conventional, primarily monetary incentive systems are no longer sufficient to address this complex issue. Instead, structured, long-term, and systemically designed human resource strategies are required — strategies that respond to the actual needs of the target group.Objective: This master’s thesis aims to provide practice-oriented insights and evidencebased recommendations for care provider organizations to help them attract qualified personnel, retain them over the long term, and sustainably increase their employer attractiveness. The focus is placed on non-financial factors, which have gained increasing importance in academic discourse — such as leadership quality, work climate, development opportunities, health management, and work-life balance. The work seeks to understand which measures are truly effective, what success models exist, and how existing strategies can be further developed to systematically tackle the challenges of staffing shortages.
Methodology: This study is based on a systematic literature review drawing on recent scientific studies, academic publications, practice reports, and statistical surveys from the period between 2015 and 2024. International databases such as CINAHL, PubMed, Google Scholar, and the library catalog of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria were utilized. The analysis followed qualitative evaluation criteria and employed theoretical models such as Employer Branding (Backhaus & Tikoo), the Person-Organization Fit model (Kristof), and motivation theories including the Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan) to structure the findings. Best-practice examples from care provider organizations were also included to derive actionable recommendations for practice. Findings: The analysis demonstrates that employee retention is a multifaceted construct that goes far beyond monetary incentives. While remuneration plays a role, key retention factors include flexible working time models, leadership competence, employee benefits, transparent communication, participation in decision-making, and individual development opportunities. Organizations that emphasize open corporate culture, participative leadership, and continuous training report higher employee satisfaction, lower turnover, and a stronger employer brand. At the same time, persistent structural stressors — such as time pressure, staff shortages, and lack of emotional support — continue to hamper the effectiveness of human resource measures. Conclusion: The results clearly show that sustainably attracting and retaining qualified staff in the nursing sector can only succeed through a comprehensive, wellcoordinated, and systematically designed set of measures. Care provider organizations must increasingly see themselves not merely as employers, but as future-oriented work environments that emphasize meaningfulness, personal development opportunities, appreciation, and collaborative practices. This requires a differentiated response to the individual needs and life circumstances of care workers, the targeted development of leadership competencies, the promotion of participatory decision-making, and long-term investment in flexible human resource development. Equally important is the creation of an organizational culture that fosters trust, fairness, and open communication. Only under such conditions can the nursing profession become more attractive, retain existing professionals, and inspire new talent to enter this highly demanding yet meaningful field. This thesis thus offers a practice-oriented and scientifically grounded contribution to the advancement of strategic concepts for staff recruitment and retention in the nursing sector. It provides actionable guidance for decisionmakers, HR professionals, and leadership teams seeking to implement sustainable human resource management in response to demographic shifts, growing staff shortages, and increasing quality demands in the care sector.
| Date of Award | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language | German (Austria) |
| Supervisor | Maria Krischkowsky (Supervisor) & Silvia Neumann-Ponesch (Supervisor) |
Studyprogram
- Interkulturelles Pflegemanagement