Why is staff turnover considered bad?

[SHGR]

I've read a lot of threads on this board. The collective wisdom of nurses here is amazing. However, there seems to be a common theme that I have been trying to figure out. Every time there is a job/career/management/interview related thread, people mention asking about staff turnover, implying that it is across-the-board bad.

See, I work in what I consider to be a stagnant environment. There is glacially low turnover. There are some staff who have been here a loooooong time, and interactions with them leave me with the impression that a lot of them dislike working here, but that it is just kind of comfortable and mediocrity is tolerated and oh, well. You know, lots of sick calls, management making excuses for chronic poor performance (when management is there at all), things like that.

One day an email came out that we should congratulate so-and-so for having worked there for 20 years. I thought, so shouldn't that mean she would be really super good at what she does by now? Know it inside and out, really own it.

I mean, people move on in normal workplaces, right? Fresh opportunities? Promotions, transfers, growth? What's wrong with working in a place two years and moving on?

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

I just got to reading through this thread. 8 years old, and OP hasn't been on in a couple of years. At least under that name

On 9/19/2012 at 9:27 PM, SHGR said:

 

[JKL33]

42 minutes ago, LibraNurse27 said:

By encouraging people to quit after a few years they save money because they don't have to pay anyone a higher salary since no one stays long enough to earn significant raises.

I am very suspicious that is a secondary benefit, or at least there is another that is also a major part of the business plan--which is getting rid of people who feel like they know things.

Basically they refused to figure out how they could have dynamic healthcare organizations that can respond quickly to the need for change and adaptation while retaining knowledgeable staff. They wilfully just decided that it's less of a headache for them to run the whole thing like a merry go round that people can try to jump on and go a couple of rounds before puking or getting pushed off. As long as new people are willing to jump on the ride it's all good for them.