Retention Incentive - What do you think?

Brownms46 · May 6, 2002

You know I have wondered if not working to retain staff...is a move that admin does on a conscious level. I mean if you keep staff...then you have to pay them bennies....right? But if you keep hiring new people all the time....you have in some places, six months before they receive bennies. Then you have to give them raises...and increased benefits..the longer they stay. Then if staff stays too long...you then have to worry about them retiring....and then that becomes a drain on your profits ...right??

I could be waaaay off base here....but just a thought.. :cool:

CEN35 · May 7, 2002

ok? wtf? i cannot beleive it? 41 views....and only 1 reply? that's what i like about thisd board...all the input and insight...guess i was wrong?

me :)

lindalee · May 7, 2002

Well, I might not have replied but I sure printed it and took it to work. It was read by the OR staff and faxed to admininstration. Yes, I think it would help and yes I think it might make people happier. It is a great idea and I sure hope someone listens. We are using about 30% travelers in our OR, have no idea how many travelers and registery are being used house wide. I do know of one registery nurse who has worked 5 days a week for more than three years--and she refuses a staff position. She cannot afford it. Great post and idea. Thank you so very much for sharing with us. Our travelers make no secret that they are earning about 20% more than the core staff who have been here for years. In addition their housing is paid and yes, they tell us they have benefits. We have one traveler who owns a house about 20 miles away and has traveled to local hospitals for several years. This has allowed his wife not to work and them to own a home--with someone else making the payment! Something is very wrong here in my opinion.

CATHYW · May 7, 2002

Whoa, man! Cool your jets, Rick. This is the first time I've seen this post. :-

The incentive sounds good to me-the folks who are willing to stick around through thick and thin are usually the last ones anybody thinks of! The PRN thing stinks-I think I'd suggest some type of incentive for them, too. They don't want to run them off-they can be the folks who save your bacon! A dollar or two more an hour might have them coming out of the woodwork!

l.rae · May 7, 2002

nurses in this area are incensed at Cinci's Health Alliance bonus of 30k. My hometown is in the greater Cinci area and today I submitted an artical addressing this very issue. There is no nursing shortage, just a shortage of nurses willing to stay at the bedside when they can make more money doing less demanding work, or make big bonuses hospital hopping all the time.

PhantomRN · May 8, 2002

I also think it is a good idea. My sister works in IT and during their crunch period, they were giving raises Q 6 months just to keep staff. It is about time nursing sees the need.

I wish they would implement that were I live. yearly raises bite.

aus nurse · May 8, 2002

Woo hoo Rick, something tells me you need more sleep!!!! A wee bit cranky there hun? He he;)

I think you will find that much of this has been answered on the sign on bonus thread.

Retention bonus... no such thing here. They just hire us and work us to death, no recognition at all for experience or loyalty. It sucks!!!!!!!!!!! No wonder we are leaving in droves. One day they will get the message but i suspect I will be 6 foot under by then !!!

oramar · May 8, 2002

I was just wondering if you really wanted this thread under nursing polls? It does not have a poll like the other threads. Maybe there are not as many post as you expected because people are coming to this thread expecting multiple choice question. Just a thought, I clicked on polls by mistake and wondered if you did to?

nightingale, RN · May 8, 2002

I moved the thread over to the General Discussion Board.

I remember years ago a staff nurse, when I did staff, went to human resources and worked out her own contract. It was a quarterly bonus for not calling off and staying. She had been at this facility for years and well deserved the extra money (don't we all). I was too new and too humble about going after the brass ring for myself. I wish I had now that I reflect back on it. I probably would have received something had I asked.

Now I am an agency nurse. I do not think I can ever, in the present conditions, go back as regular staff. Do I feel unloyal? Yes, but I am almost proud of the fact that I am "a free agent of sorts". I often see (not always) burned out staff who love nursing and are unappreciated.

I now have a life. I work when I want to schedule. Yes, the price I pay is to get called off etc. I am able to negotiate bennies but even at that I do not want to dedicate myself to one agency.

I am now agency hopping (once again) to an agency with better scheduling and a $ 3.00 raise (per hour). My last "real job" I was presented with a 75 cent per hour raise and they acted like I should be thrilled because it was the top compensation.

I will "someday" have a business of my own with this nursing thing and spend as much time with my patients as "I" see fit without retribution from mangement that I spent too much time with my patients.

Not venting just speaking my mantra...

live4today, RN · May 8, 2002

Perhaps the BEST incentive the hospitals can offer nurses and nurses can offer themselves is to allow all nurses across the board to be their own independent bosses contracting their services with the hospital they wish to work at?

Hospitals would no longer EMPLOY nurses, have them on the hospital payroll as EMPLOYEES, BUT as contractors. Each nurses contract can be specify what they are willing to work for, what services they are willing to render, the hours the independent nurse is willing to contract, and the length of the contract should be specified along with the hours the nurse desires to work. Perhaps more hospitals should look at the Travel Nurse Industry as one they can implement with each independently working nurse they could contract with for services rendered. Just MAYBE this might be the way to go in order to have more satisfied nurses who are free to contract with a facility a plan conducive to each nurse's preferences. Benefits can be determined based on each nurses personal needs, situation, etc. Not every nurse needs health insurance if her spouse carries a better insurance for the family, etc.

Okay nurses, what are your thoughts on this as a future wave of incentives for nurses contracting independently with hospitals, clinics, and the like for services rendered instead of being hired as another dissatisfied employee making less than desirable wages and benefits, and working shifts that are not conducive to your personal well being? :)

mattsmom81 · May 8, 2002

I have never needed insurance/benes for the reason you describe, Renee, hubby had 'em...so I mostly have done PRN type work and agency through the years. I have negotiated a FT status (no cancels, no floating, set schedule) with a higher rate of pay in lieu of insurance..some HR depts are willing to work with you, some aren't on this stuff. A lot depends on if the director wants you bad enough, too.

More and more nurses are demanding retention bonuses and I think we will be seeing more. We're tired of all the attention going to recruiting and so little to retaining.

I've seen the same Rick... if PRN's aren't given a raise with FT, they move on...then we have to train new PRN's in.

When nurses are ready to be independent and not have a herd mentality we will see more of it...I know a few free spirits who contract independantly ... but not many.