Nurse Retention ideas

[CCU-Flight RN]

My unit and hospital as a whole is really struggling with nurse retention. We have two hospitals that serve a large rural area. Both are level one trauma centers, my hospital is also preparing to be a level one stroke and STEMI facility but people are leaving in droves to go to the other hospital or various other areas.

Upper management keeps saying "Money isn't everything" though most nurses are leaving for money. What are some strategies for nurse retention your facilities have offered, and please, feel free to include any monetary offers. :)

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

WEEKEND OPTION!

[NurseFifty]

Exit interviews should not be selective. If your hospital "don't want to know because then they have to deal with it" then right there is one problem. That hospital is not committed to improvement. Very poor HR staff I would guess.

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

I had an online survey for an exit interview. It was not conducted in person. I would have preferred that because surveys online can get "lost".

[ArlyleRN]

Upper management keeps saying "Money isn't everything"

I have several response to that statement:

1. How much are you getting paid to say that?

2. Is Administration willing to give up their bonus and share it with non-exempt employees?

3. Do you volunteer your time?

4. Is Administration willing to be transparent in regard to total compensation and insurance packages, including stock options?

5. You realize that modern nurses expect equitable compensation, right?

And then I bust out in a rap...

If you wanna me to be workin' today

let me tell ya brother, I'm gonna get paid

Oh why, did I get this degree.......

[Overland1, RN]

Your hospital should ask the nurses who resign what would have made them stay. Part of exit interview.

I wonder how many people, during an "exit interview" actually provide clear and honest answers about why they are leaving (as opposed to being "nice and concise"). How many interviews ask the questions that would result in helpful answers.

[AcuteHD]

clothing optional friday

[NurseFifty]

They do provide some answers if they have already secured another job. Pepel don't normally foresee wanting to ever go back. The hospital I left had a set questionnaire. They let you answer there and then or you can mail back a paper questionannire. Ext interviews also happen in other line of work. Many people do respond. Third pary companies are sometimes ask to send out surveys too.

[NurseFifty]

I am also thinking....why doesn'tyour hospital just put a suggestion box out there and ask the nurses to put in their suggestions. If they really mean it, upper management will find a way to find out what factors favor nurse retention. Don't they have HR? If they do, why does upper management say 'money isn't everything?'. Seems foolish to me to tell your employees not to expect fair compensation when employees take a job for money primarily. If not, they can be volunteers!!!!!!

[AcuteHD]

1. Uninterrupted lunch breaks occurring regularly, at a decent hour

10. Don't make me read a script to my patients

Yes and Yes! At our facility the cafeteria has very limited hours so if you don't eat early you probably won't get a hot meal.

I'm a nurse dammit, not an actor! If I try to read their script it comes across as fake and insincere.

Otherwise my facility (it appears, as I don't work the floor anymore) does a fairly decent job on 2-9

[Karou]

Money may not be everything, but it certainly can help keep staff around when the hospital is going through a transition period and losing morale. It makes nurses realize that they are valued, desired, and that the hospital actually does care enough to keep them. I really think money is the #1 factor for many people. Especially if they don't like where they work, they may stay for the money. And truly if the turnover is that high, the hospital is losing money on training new nurses who will just leave. Why not give a raise to keep the experienced staff around? They will be happier, and it might make for a more positive environment for newly hire nurses (so they may stick around too).

Allowing staff input on staffing/scheduling, less focus on customer service to patients and more on the clinical aspects of nursing, anything to boost morale. Some kind of a recognition program for outstanding employees than can be used easily. My hospital has a way for staff to compliment/thank each other that goes to the manager. It's nice to be noticed for your hard work.

Ask the staff why they are leaving, what could keep them from it, and what is making others stay.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

clothing optional friday

Attendance optional too?

Seriously though, money plays a huge factor and when you are constantly rolling over nurses you have to stop and say, is this really what we want? You hire these new nurses who get their experience and then run because the pay sucks and the upper experienced people left the sinking ship long before hand.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

My facility used to give out the strangest things, all emblazoned with the logo. They've since done away with it, but I'd much rather have gotten cash than stuff that I don't use.

Money isn't everything, but it's probably the number one option for retention. Wages haven't kept up with inflation, and my facility's wages aren't comparable with other area facilities. If it weren't for the fact that I like my coworkers and that the other facilities don't have as many cases in my specialty, I'd probably jump ship too.

I will say that my lunch breaks within my CVOR specialty team are pretty decent- when I don't get one, it's because the brown stuff is truly hitting the fan, and the occasions are few and far between.

What I would like to see is better management, especially from one certain charge nurse who shouldn't be charge of all ORs besides CVOR- there are no repercussions for the folks who take an hour or longer lunch, people are sent to ORs to give lunch when people can eat between cases or relieve each other, and then those of us in my specialty are stuck picking up the slack without reciprocation.

Better staffing would help too- we've had an unfilled position just on my little team for at least a year now. We've all been taking more call than what's expected because of it. There's no push to post unfilled positions anywhere other than the facility website- that's another thing I think should change. People looking for jobs frequently go with sites like Indeed instead of directly to facility websites, and the facilities are missing out on a good recruitment opportunity when applicants are few and far between (and unqualified).