Proposed Recruitment/Retention Plan your opinion?

st4304 · Apr 29, 2001

What is the incentive for retention? I liked the bonus for certifications, but don't you already get time and half for those holidays? We get paid $3/hour for night shift differential.

My hospital is about ready to embark on starting an open heart surgery program. I had lunch with the CEO yesterday (this is a 325-bed rural hospital and his daughter is one of my daughter's best friends so don't be too impressed) and he asked me what I thought the hospital needed to do to recruit and retain nurses for this new adventure. I told him to recruit, he would have to be more than competitive, he would have to beat the competition. One hospital in the nearest large city (about 45min away) currently has a $14,000 sign-on bonus, another advertized to pay your utilities for a year, another advertised $10,000 sign-on PLUS 5 weeks vacation the first year in addition to 10 paid holidays and 10 paid sick days. I told him he could not compete with that, he would have to beat that if he was expecting nurses (especially experienced ones) to relocate to this area. I then informed him that I had been approached by a recruiter from our rival hospital who already has open heart and what they had offered me. He asked me if I was going to accept it. I was honest and told him no because I still have children in school nearby and want to stay close, but I am pretty sure I am not the only one they approached. What is he going to do about those that decide to go? Just let them and their valuable experience go to our rival? He said he wasn't sure what was going to happen and he thanked me for the input.

Back to your post, is there really anything there in that proposal that would keep you from taking another position?

Good luck!

st4304 · Apr 29, 2001

What is the incentive for retention? I liked the bonus for certifications, but don't you already get time and half for those holidays? We get paid $3/hour for night shift differential.

My hospital is about ready to embark on starting an open heart surgery program. I had lunch with the CEO yesterday (this is a 325-bed rural hospital and his daughter is one of my daughter's best friends so don't be too impressed) and he asked me what I thought the hospital needed to do to recruit and retain nurses for this new adventure. I told him to recruit, he would have to be more than competitive, he would have to beat the competition. One hospital in the nearest large city (about 45min away) currently has a $14,000 sign-on bonus, another advertized to pay your utilities for a year, another advertised $10,000 sign-on PLUS 5 weeks vacation the first year in addition to 10 paid holidays and 10 paid sick days. I told him he could not compete with that, he would have to beat that if he was expecting nurses (especially experienced ones) to relocate to this area. I then informed him that I had been approached by a recruiter from our rival hospital who already has open heart and what they had offered me. He asked me if I was going to accept it. I was honest and told him no because I still have children in school nearby and want to stay close, but I am pretty sure I am not the only one they approached. What is he going to do about those that decide to go? Just let them and their valuable experience go to our rival? He said he wasn't sure what was going to happen and he thanked me for the input.

Back to your post, is there really anything there in that proposal that would keep you from taking another position?

Good luck!

Mijourney · Apr 29, 2001

Hi CEN35. I agree with Wildtime that this seems more of a recruitment strategy. And, it does make sense to address recruitment when staffing is short. However, I do feel the retention strategies could be greatly improved.

Most of the financial incentives you outlined are really not anything new from my standpoint. It looks like a reinstatement of what was lost from the past.

What about scheduling? I don't see in your post anything about flexible scheduling? What about retirement and long term care benefits?

The $320 per year won't cover travel to conferences, seminars, and CEUs. Do you have an additional allotment for continuing education?

CEN35 · Apr 29, 2001

Well being an employee already, I thought I would give it a fair chance first. I totally agree with both of you. I think it's a joke........ecspecially for the retention issue. I didn't want to dive in and say that, without hearing some neutral opinions first.

Answers? get this! In approximately 1992, the offered a $3 an hour shift diff for nights, and $2 for evenings (I think?) the when getting staffing was not a problem, they started to cut those.

1993 - 3rd shift diff $2.50hr, 2nd shift diff, $1.50hr, but everybody git a .43 raise.

1994 - 3rd shift diff $2hr, and 2nd shift diff $1hr, but everybody got a .43 cent an hour raise.

1995 -3rd shift diff $1.50hr, and 2nd $1.00hr, but everybody got a .43 cent an hour raise.

1996 - $1.00 across the board after 3:30pm till 7am, and everybody got their .43 cents.

So no......they dont have good shift diff. Night nurses, working there lost .07 an hour for 3-4 years. That's not retention either.

Nobody gets time and a half hor required holidays......they get it if they are short for the shift.......and somebody fills in last minute.....thats about it.

I agree, there is nothing there to retain nurses IMO.....ot's lame.......they will loose more than they gain for sure.

Rick

cmggriff · Apr 29, 2001

A DON asked me once long ago how to recruit and retain RN's. I answered "Pay us. Money will always attract the best and the brightest to any field." She never asked for my opinion again.

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

c fiser · Apr 29, 2001

Hospitals I've worked at always talked about being "competitive" with benefits. In my mind they mean they want to be as good as but not better than the competition. Heavens, that would cost too much money. In this era of staffing shortages I find that the hospitals are still only doing the bare minimum to keep the staff they have. Instead they are focusing on getting new nurses into the fold. This I don't understand.

I find raises aren't based on performance but only on if you finished the year.

why don't hospitals offer to pay off school loans in exchange for a few years?

There are so many other benefits a creative administrator could come up with. Not the least of which would be some real appreciation for what we do.

PhantomRN · Apr 29, 2001

I agree there does not seem to be anything in their offering for retention. Hospitals live under this illusion that we will stay because we have to,,,,although I have no idea where they get that from.

You know the average length of time a nurses stays on a job is two years. that is what they need to look at why are we leaving after two years. I think some is money...crummy 3% raises and the other part is the benies. Most are not vested in their retirement plan until 5 years, so if we leave we loose little. Then health and dental,,,,how many out there are married and their hubbie carries the benies? Most. Statistics say that the average nurse is married and she is the second income not the first. :cool:

-jt · Apr 30, 2001

I didnt see anything there that is a retention incentive & its really just a pretty paltry recruitment incentive too. Nothing that veteran (experienced) nurses would jump for & stick around for. Sign on bonuses dont work. Look at Florida - they have the best weather, best beaches, & sign-on bonuses of up to $20,000 & they still cant find nurses who want to work in the conditions they offer them. Maybe besides increasing the money, the hospital can advertize how in tune they are to the working conditions & all the improvements they are making because they value their nurses. That might get some attention.

CEN35 · Apr 30, 2001

Thanks for the replies! Most of you sem to think the same way I do. The retention thing is not really a plan. That's too bad, because they will have trouble keeping the employees they have at this rate.

Rick

123pollynurse · May 2, 2001

Our hospital has yet to come up with any retention for seasoned nurses. They do spend most of the time and money getting new nurses to come aboard. Ifeel it is shameful not to compensate nurses who have spent their entire career(like me) in a hospital.Let's face it...........MONEY TALKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CEN35 · May 3, 2001

Thanks Polly!!!!! I agree totally!

Rick