Lowest turnover specialty

[guest769224]

I want to ask everyone here what they consider the lowest turnover specialty to be.

Where staff stake their tent, and stick around for a good long while.

I equate low turnover to = high job satisfaction.

On the top of my head, I am thinking L&D, or NICU. Certainly not Med/Surg or ER.

Which is the dream unit/specialty that generally yields the highest satisfaction?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Looking to make a move ICUman?

[MatrixRn]

Retirement is lowest turnover specialty in nursing.

Seriously, each specialty will see copious amounts of turnover if the floor is run poorly. Instead of looking for the specialty look and listen for a good manager who runs her or his floor well.

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

Are you talking about specialty or facility turnover? Even if a specific floor/unit is unable to retain staff, I'd imagine that people look for similar jobs if they're happy in their specialty. I expect NICU is like that...although I might be biased.

[babybums]

I have worked in NICU for the past 29 years. Turnover is low. You either really like it or hate it. Obviously I love it and couldn't imagine working anywhere else.

[NightOwlPsyRN]

I've seen a lot of hospice nurses who've stuck around a long while.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Turnover might happen for other reasons than staff unhappiness. I work in SICU and a fair number of our employees leave for anesthesia school every year.

OR, PACU, procedural nursing(radiology, GI procedures), employee health and IV team seem to have low turnover in my hospital. I see the same people there year after year.

I think what they have in common is one patient at a time, unlike inpatient units where you get pulled in many directions with more competing demands. I originally applied for an OR post at my hospital after my first year of med-surg so I could escape call-bells and visitors.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Which is the dream unit/specialty that generally yields the highest satisfaction?

Based on personal observations, nurses who end up in postpartum and/or well mother/baby units tend to stay put for many years. I can see why: under most circumstances, patients and families are generally happy about the new bundles of joy that have been brought into this world.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

The question should be "Which specialty do nurses stick with through their entire career" It does not necessarily mean a department with low turnover. You may have many nurses use a small ICU as a stepping stone for a larger teaching hospital. The ICU has a high turnover rate, but the nurses that leave are still working in an ICU and may work in ICU their entire career.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I too would say OR or L&D....Have never heard of an Ex-OR Nurse. I have heard of Ex- ICU, CCU, ER nurses.

[tacomaster]

My floor has lost 7 or 8 nurses in the last two months. We have a wall in the hallway with head shot photos of every member of our staff. In a twisted way, I always imagine our manager getting upset after a person leaves and coming up to the board and ripping their photo off. It kind of reminds me of Survivor in a way. We no longer have going away parties for people; people just "disappear". I mean, they put in their two week notices with management but don't tell any of us until the day before. I seriously had this conversation a few weeks back: "Will you be back tomorrow so I can give you these patients?". "Nope, this is my last shift".

[tacomaster]

The PACU nurses at my hospital have been there 25 and 35 years. I think the "newest one" is 10 years ago.

[Farawyn]

IV nursing!

We don't have those anymore. Shame.