Interesting discussion on nursing retention...

eltrip · Jun 18, 2002

Very interesting. Notice how the 2 folks who originally started the discussion were talking about job-matching. Nurses began to chime in & suggest real-life solutions that would make nurses want to stay put.

Suits trying to figure out nursing retention is like accountants understanding patient care...they don't!

colleen10 · Jun 19, 2002

As someone that has worked in Human Resources and is now going into the Nursing Profession I was really interested in that discussion. One of the reasons that I left HR was because "the suits" just don't get employees and what's important to them.

Something else that I want to bring up regarding HR and Nursing is that there is obviously a nursing shortage and it is hard to find RN's, LPN's, and CNA's. I have been trying to find a position as a PCT or entry CNA for the past several months but to no avail. When I talk to other students and nurses that work for some of the larger Health organizations they all tell me it will take months to get in any where because HR moves so slow.

Maybe that's something else HR should be working on!

fedupnurse · Jun 19, 2002

Our HR department has been notorious for losing applications for the 14 years I've been there. I checked out the discussion also. Did you see the consultant chiming in about leadership training? Our managers go to that and are more apathetic and useless with each passing seminar. I do agree: Retention is a big part of the managers' jobs. We have 5 managers on my 24 bed unit and none are worth their salaries at this point. They sit in their offices at night and the ones on days go to meetings all day. Those above them aren't much better. This apathy filters right down the line. You know the: saying $hit rolls down hill.

This shortage is only going to become more severe unless the suits and these HR people wake up and smell the coffee. The answers are right under their noses and they know this. They don't want the answers. Why? Cuts into the profits. Why keep experienced staff when you can hire someone a lot cheaper? To them experience is a deficit. When they are rotting away in an ICU somewhere and only have novice RN's caring for them, then they will see how important us "seasoned" veterans are.

oramar · Jun 19, 2002

Good grief, they have a 45% turn over so something must be wrong with the employees. Meanwhile the hospital down the street is probably hiring the people that they lose and keeping them. Where do these HR people get this crap from?

OrthoNutter · Jun 19, 2002

Maybe HRM should be a nursing position instead of one for the bean counters.

But it is all about the profit. Our fearless state gov't leader released a press statement saying that he can't afford to give us a 12% pay rise to bring us in line with the rest of Australia because that would cost 750 million and he can only afford 250 million. Yet he can afford to keep his exhorbitant (sp?) paycheck, fancy cars, private jet etc. If the pollies didn't get as many perks, especially after they retire as well as when they're in gov't, imagine how much money would be available for things that matter - like education and healthcare.

joannep · Jun 19, 2002

Which fearless state leader is that? I haven't caught the news lately, always too busy.

Joanne

kmchugh · Jun 20, 2002

I posted my own response on the BB just now. I love stiking my nose into places where people who aren't nurses are discussing what's wrong with nurses. I'm sure the genuises on that board will ignore me as a crank.

Kevin McHugh

Stargazer · Jun 20, 2002

This quote, from the thread linked above, pretty much sums up everything's that's wrong with hospital administration re: recruitment and retention:

I have utilized a high-performance team methodology called "Team Spirit" in a two-prong approach for orientation of new employees as well as revitalizing and gaining commitment from current employees. It is a six-element approach which begins with Initiating which establishes belonging and trust. Other elements include Visioning, Claiming, Celebrating, Letting Go, and it is rooted in a foundation of Service.

Ooooohh! Could you please tell me more about the Visioning, Claiming, and Celebrating? It sounds so incentivizational! Why don't we talk about it during our next retreat, after the Team-building exercises? :chuckle

That dude's got a baaaaad case of Corporate Verbifying.

By the way, great post, Kevin. But I hold no hope that they're any smarter for having read it. :rolleyes:

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jun 20, 2002

Way to go, Helen (RNCountry)!!! Really hit the nail on the head. You told the Suits the simple, common-sense truth, something they don't really want to hear!!! Forced them to think out of the Ivory Tower box, if only for a moment.

Norbert Holz · Jun 20, 2002

Nursing Retention?

Registered Nurses should not be employees of the institutions where they pratice! They should be granted pratice priveleges just as the higher paid individuals MD's).

Under the current structure, where Nurses, the pseudo professionals we are considered employees. I propose the institution employing us to taylor specific incentives to each practitioner.

Employing entities must treat each of us as individuals tailor making a contractual agreement to the individual nurse. Look at as if it were a pair of shoes. One size does not fit all.

Some Nurses would desire to have education benefits, some retirement, others flexablity in patinet treatment times. The pratice setting should sell itself to the Nurse who is considering praticing at the facility.

Broad generalized programs are as effective as issuing a size 6 shoe to every employee and expecting it to fit. I'm a size 10 (mens.) The shoe simply would not fit!

As the "shortage" of Nurses willing to tollerate the current system imposes upon them by their "employers" becomes more critical, and I sincerely hope it does, the places Nurses pratice will either adapt to new "retention" and recrutment stratigies or fail to have the ability to attract and retain any acceptable level of praticing Nurses.

oramar · Jun 20, 2002

I was over reading the post some of you people put on that web site. You are all so brilliant, I am so proud. I am also very glad to be able to ad this site to my collection.