Lowest turnover specialty

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · May 13, 2015

Why do you both say OR is the winner here?

because it is the winner

Anna S, RN · May 14, 2015

I know a couple of nurses who've left OR.

One even paid back their sign-on bonus to get out.

In both cases, however, the nurses' leaving was related to a toxic work environment, not the specialty.

I've had many jobs in many specialties.

I've never left a job because of the specialty, I've left because of bag mgmt, and bad work environments.

Dranger · May 14, 2015

Lowest:

PACU (green pasture for ICU nurses after they burn out)

Ambulatory surgery

Clinics (Specialty)

L&D

Perioperative

M/B (heavy attrition to L&D)

GI/IR Procedural areas

Any place that is high stress/tempo and a difficult patient population is going to have high turnover.

Asystole RN · May 14, 2015

Any specialty that requires a highly specific and unique set of skills will have low turn-over, like the OR. How does circulating translate to being a med-surg nurse? It really doesn't. If you work in it long enough your skill set gets too hyper focused and then even if you wanted to transition out you cannot.

This is why units like women's health oriented and OR have very low turn-over rates, less options for lateral movement.

prmenrs, RN · May 14, 2015

It's definitely about management. If you have management you like, (and who like you!) and a specialty you like, you will stay. Forevvver.

Jump in and try something. Don't analyze the crap out of it. jmho

Aliareza, BSN · May 14, 2015

When I did my rotations for clinical, the one area that stood out as not having much turnover was PACU. I quickly saw why; they get music pumped in, have rocking chairs, and spend a lot of time relaxing and waiting for patients. They only get two at a time on a busy day and usually only one. The employees told me it's basically where ICU nurses looking for an easier time go, and there are very rarely ever spots open.

The thing about management isn't wrong, though. I'll be starting on an ortho/neuro floor not because I love the specialty, but entirely because I love the nurse manager who will be my boss and the teamwork I've seen on that floor throughout rotations. I doubt I'll leave as long as the environment stays the same.

Caffeine_IV · May 15, 2015

Of course it varies but from what I've seen based job openings

OR and OR related...Pre-op assessment, peri-op holding and PACU

Radiology

Endoscopy

Cath lab

Employee health

Occupational Health

NICU/PICU

Every place I've worked med/surg the turnover is high due to management and the increasing expectations on the staff.

I also work in radiology and most of the staff has been there for 10+ years.

TXcatcher · May 15, 2015

I work transplant/LVAD acute care floor. We have a high turnover because of the unrealistic expectations and ratios, and because our manager is not supportive. Many people do stay because we love the patients, and this population does require a lot of specialized training and skills.

I have been trying to transition to CVOR. I wanted to start in OR as a new grad, but the opportunity just wasn't there. We'll see what happens in the future...

FloatRN19 · May 19, 2015

Lowest turn over pediatric triage nurse. Had a buddy who worked it overnight and would get one or two calls a night. If you like getting paid to do nothing thsts your gig . Highest I'd say would be progressive/stepdown/pins nurse. The hospital I used to work at as an aide got down to 2 core staff nurses at night. The float pool basically lived down there and had to orient a lot of the new core staff to that floor.

Palliative Care, DNP · May 19, 2015

In my facility its L&D or Mother/Baby. Those nurses have been there since Adam & Eve. There are never any openings and they do not plan on retiring. So there is something to be said for that.