RETENTION
NURSE RETENTION By Lee Ann Runy An Executive’s Guide to Keeping One of Your
Hospital’s Most Valuable Resources With no end in sight for the nation‘s nursing shortage, hospitals
are placing greater emphasis on retaining their current RN staff. It‘s a complex process, requiring in-
depth knowledge of the needs and wants of the nursing staff and lots of creativity. ―You have to
know what motivates nurses to stay,‖ says Pamela Thompson, CEO of the American Organization of
Nurse Executives. To that end, many hospitals regularly conduct retention or exit surveys to
understand what‘s on nurses‘ minds.
The stresses of the job can be compounded by responsibilities outside of the workplace. Hospitals are
doing what they can to support nurses on a personal level, which is where creativity mostly comes
into play. From concierge services that help nurses with errands to day care to flexible scheduling,
hospitals are doing whatever it takes to allow nurses to focus on their work and keep them in their
jobs for years to come.
DEFINITION: Staff choose to stay for long periods within a cost centre, turnover is under is 10%
annually.
IMPORTANCE OF STAFF RETENTION:
The advantages of staff retention are fairly clear. Most importantly perhaps, key skills, ideas,
knowledge and experience remain within your organization. Client relationships and networks are
also preserved in conjunction with all the income that these areas generate.
Conversely, losing your key employees lays open the possibility that these people will than
assume roles with your direct competitors. As a result those invaluable skills, ideas, knowledge,
experience, relationships and networks are all transferred to another organization.
On top of all these there are also direct costs involved in losing key employees. The cost of
replacing such an individual includes advertising, recruitment agency fees and the time spent
conducting actual interview process. Further more it is also worth considering the time and expense
spent on the induction new employees and lost revenue during the recruitment and bedding in
process.
All though an element of employee churns is both inevitable and healthy. It is nevertheless clear
that retention brings substantial benefits to your organization. Whilst attrition involves significant
direct and indirect financial costs.
PRINCIPLES ANE ELEMNTS OF A HELPFUL PRACTICE AND WORK
ENVIRONMENT:
To foster staff retention, organizations need to develop environments in which nurses want to work.
Among other things, nurses want safe workplaces that promote quality health care.
―It‘s the role of the nurse executive and nurse manager to establish a work environment that
supports professional practice,‖ says Pamela Thompson, CEO of the American Organization of Nurse
Executives.
―That‘s one key piece to retention.‖ It‘s also important that nurses play an active role in shaping
their environment.
―Nurses want to work in a place that brings high quality to patients and know they have a role in
the process,‖ says Susan Shelander, director of recruitment and retention for Memorial Hermann,
Houston. Creating such an environment is not easy.
The Nursing Organizations Alliance developed a set of principles to help hospitals and other health
care entities create positive work environments. More than 40 nurse organizations, including AONE,
have endorsed the principles.
•
NINE PRINCIPLES TO HELP FOSTER
STAFF RETENTION:
[Link] collegial communication and Team orientation • Presence of trust •
behavior Respect for diversity
2. Communication-rich culture • Clear and respectful • Open and trusting
3. A culture of accountability • Role expectations are clearly defined •
Everyone is accountable
4. The presence of adequate numbers of • Ability to provide quality care to meet
qualified nurses client/patient needs • Work and home life
balance
5. The presence of expert, competent, credible, • Serve as an advocate for nursing practice •
visible leadership Support shared decision-making • Allocate
resources to support nursing.
[Link] decision-making at all levels • Nurses participate in system, organizational
and process decisions • Formal structure exists
to support shared decision-making • Nurses
have control over their practice.
[Link] encouragement of professional practice • Continuing education/certification is
and continued growth/ development supported/encouraged • Participation in
professional association encouraged • An
information-rich environment is supported.
8. Recognition of the value of nursing‘s • Reward and pay for performance.
contribution
9. Recognition of nurses for their meaningful • Career mobility and expansion
contribution to the practice
FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT
AND RETENTION PROGRAMS: 1. Sustained leadership commitment to
workforce as a strategic imperative.
2. A culture centred around employees and patients.
3. Work with other organizations to address workforce needs
4. Systematic and structured approach
5. Excellence in human resource practice
