It’s common for nurses to consider leaving the nursing profession. Many nurses struggle with inadequate staffing, long hours, and a lack of administrative support. From February 2020 to September 2021, 18% of healthcare workers quit their jobs Additionally, 12% have been laid off and 19% thought about leaving their job
Why is nurse retention important?
There are a number of reasons why retention is crucial to a successful workplace. Retention in the healthcare industry, particularly in nursing, may be crucial to a hospital or facility’s success by:
Reducing costs
Filling open positions can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor. Hospitals and healthcare facilities may invest a significant amount of time and money in recruiting applicants, reviewing applications, and holding interviews. Your HR department may need to use these strategies more frequently the lower the retention rate. Enhancing nurse retention may enable you to save money by reducing the need for your hospital to hire new nurses.
Maximizing length of employment
You may be able to increase the length of your nurses’ employment by improving nurse retention. A positive workplace culture, improved collaboration, and beneficial workplace dynamics are frequently fostered by long-term relationships with your nurses. Long-term relationships with your nursing staff could facilitate improved communication and interactions between you two.
Promoting consistent practices
It’s critical that nursing staff members stay on staff for a sufficient period of time to establish standard operating procedures and instruct new nurses on their techniques in order for practices to be consistent. The likelihood that a nursing staff will establish these standards may be reduced if nurse retention is low. To provide patients with the best care possible, to make communication easier and to align expectations within your organization, standard practices with consistent care protocols are crucial. Increased nurse retention could contribute to maintaining the consistency of medical procedures
Boosting staff morale
When members of your nursing staff have the chance to develop satisfying relationships, it could raise their morale at work. Fostering supportive relationships among your nursing staff is a crucial step in ensuring their wellbeing at work because nursing can occasionally be a stressful and high-pressure profession. Improved nurse retention might make it possible for these crucial bonds to form, which would enhance your nursing team’s contentment and productivity.
What is retention?
Retention is the ability of an organization to retain its employees. When assessing an organization’s level of retention, you may take into account the number of employees who voluntarily leave their jobs or resign within a predetermined period of time. The retention rate of an organization may be affected by a variety of factors, including pay, benefits, workload, stress levels, leadership styles, and company culture. Low employee turnover rates or high retention rates are frequently indicators of a productive, upbeat, and cohesive workplace.
How to improve nurse retention
As a hospital manager or administrator, you may take into consideration a number of strategies to increase nurse retention. In order to increase nurse retention at your hospital or healthcare facility, take into account the following eight suggestions:
1. Address workload issues
Being proactive about workload issues in your organization is a good way to increase nurse retention. There are several ways you can address an overwhelming workload. You could incorporate strategies and improvements into your procedures to help your nurses complete their work quickly and effectively, such as:
2. Provide training and development
In order to advance their careers, nursing professionals frequently look for opportunities for additional training and development. To give your nursing staff opportunities for professional development, think about offering developmental training programs like workshops and seminars. Offering your staff members who want to return to school tuition reimbursement is a fantastic way to encourage them to pursue their education.
You might also think about regularly discussing the career goals and training objectives with each of your nurses. As a result of your commitment to their success, you may be able to successfully match them with the educational resources that will best meet their needs, which will increase employee satisfaction and nurse retention.
3. Allow autonomy
Experienced nurses frequently have established procedures for finishing their work and caring for patients that they have developed over time working in the medical field. Try to avoid micromanaging or establishing overly strict policies as a nursing manager or hospital administrator. Giving your nursing staff some degree of autonomy could give them the impression that you value and trust their abilities as healthcare providers. This degree of respect and trust could promote a good working relationship with your nursing staff and increase nurse retention.
4. Ensure fair pay and benefits
Underpaid nurses may be more likely to look for alternative employment. Offer fair compensation and comprehensive benefits to make sure your nurses feel appreciated for their work. To do this, you could look into nearby hospitals and facilities to find out what the average pay for different nursing positions is. Offer basic benefits like health insurance, dental insurance, flexible scheduling, and 401k programs while attempting to at least match these salaries. You may also offer additional benefits like:
5. Provide wellness resources
Consider making wellness resources available to your nursing staff in order to support their mental and emotional well-being. A list of therapists, instruction in meditation and relaxation techniques, free or inexpensive counseling sessions, or a break policy that permits several brief breaks during the workday are a few examples of what might be provided. This could promote employee happiness, nurse retention, and prevent burnout. Making sure your nurses look after their mental and emotional health may also increase the likelihood that they will give their patients the best care possible.
6. Recognize your staff
It’s crucial to acknowledge the accomplishments of your nursing staff if you want to increase nurse retention. To achieve this, you could hold staff appreciation events, promote staff recognition through public campaigns, or conduct performance evaluations in which you commend your nurses for their achievements. Employees are frequently more likely to be satisfied at work if they feel valued and appreciated. Recognizing staff accomplishments may be a powerful strategy to increase nurse retention.
7. Collect employee feedback
A great way to increase nurse retention is to seriously consider the feedback of your nursing staff. To understand the wants and needs of your nurses in the workplace, think about regularly soliciting their feedback through meetings, discussions, and anonymous surveys. To show your staff that you value their opinions and are concerned about their happiness and success, actively seeking out their feedback is a potent strategy. It’s also a great way to learn more about how you can assist your nurses in getting the knowledge, equipment, and resources they need to do their jobs well.
8. Improve leadership interactions
Improved nurse retention frequently depends on the leadership and nursing staff having a good working relationship. It’s crucial to invest the necessary time and effort in developing fruitful relationships with your nurses. You may do this in the following ways:
How Emory Healthcare’s Chief Nurse Executive Improves Nurse Retention and Resilience
FAQ
What is retention in nursing?
According to Dotson et al., nurse retention is specifically defined as “keeping nurses in their jobs.” The percentage of nurses who remain in their current positions (Ellenbecker, Porell, Samia, Byleckie, 2014) or
How do nurses maintain retention?
- Be strategic during the hiring process. …
- Create a recognition program. …
- Develop the right company culture. …
- Allow for peer interviews. …
- Listen to feedback. …
- Encourage professional development. …
- Provide adequate resources. …
- Create collaboration opportunities.
What is the retention rate for nurses?
Within the first year after graduation, 18% of new nurses switch jobs or even careers. An additional one-third leave within 2 years. Nationally, the nursing turnover rate averages 19. 1% and is expected to increase, with a nursing vacancy rate of 8%
