Nursing Incentives - New Grads and Expereinced

[RNCompConsultant]

I work for a large Healthcare organization and we are looking for creative incentives to attract and retain both New Grad and Experienced Nurses.

What are the most attractive nursing incentives that you have heard offered? What do you wish was offered at your company that has never been mentioned?

We are open to any all compensation and benefit related incentives, whatever it would take to recruit and retain talented nurses.

[ProperlySeasoned]

On site subsidised childcare

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

The days of sign on bonuses seem to be returning in quite a few areas and that is frequently a good way to get staff in the door. Relocation assistance helps also if you need to or want to recruit out of your geographic area.

While a decent to generous sign on bonus might get people in the door though it won't do much for retaining them. To keep employees good staffing ratios is probably the number one thing that will help. Good staffing ratios have a trickle down affect that actually works. With adequate staffing comes positive employee morale which makes for a much more pleasant workplace which means employee turnover stays low. If you can actually hire enough nurses to maintain reasonable staffing ratios while also offering a competitive rate of pay you could be seen as the employer of choice in your area pretty quickly.

With increasing healthcare costs the ability to offer adequate employee insurance is helpful for attracting and retaining staff. PTO/vacation/sick time that can actually be used is also important. Things that are nice but not necessarily vital as long as you can offer good ratios along with good pay are shift differentials, bonuses for picking up additional non-scheduled hours, flexible scheduling and tuition reimbursement.

While none of these are really creative incentives they are the incentives that will work. Nurses, like any other professionals are looking for the most compensation with the best working conditions. These things take money and if you work for an employer willing to actually open the purse strings and start paying the money needed to hire and keep staff sign me up, I'm on my way! Sadly it seems while the economy is supposedly booming employees are seeing little to none of the benefits of this while the top of the administration ladder are raking in bigger and bigger paychecks while paying fewer and fewer taxes on them.

[Luckyyou, BSN, RN]

Show me the money.

[turtlesRcool]

What I really want is a job that sets me up for success.

Good patient ratios are the most important of anything you can offer me. This includes not only my assignment, but also the support staff because if the CNAs are stretched too thin, I still won't have enough time to do what I need if I have to keep stopping to do incontinence care.

Well stocked floor with enough working equipment for me to do my job efficiently. It's crazy annoying to waste my time fighting with spotty technology, waiting for materials to send up common materials for dressing changes, or stealing vitals machines back and forth so we can all verify (and chart) current vital signs when giving medications.

Fair management decisions when it comes to scheduling, PTO use, floating rotation, and down-staffing/on-call opportunities.

Do the above, and I'll work for less money.

[turtlesRcool]

Oh, the other thing that will help with retention is to help nurses grow and move within the organization. Provide pathways for nurses to transition to other departments, even specialties. If someone has been doing med-surg for a few years, and really wants to go to L&D or ER or ICU, and your hospital is only hiring people with experience in those areas, then you're going to lose those med-surg nurses to other hospitals who are willing to train.

Work with your nurses to help them find the right fit in your organization. We know burn out is real. Sometimes what it takes to revitalize someone is a fresh opportunity. If you can give nurses that new experience within your organization, you'll lessen their movement out of your organization.

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

I second the patient ratio issue. To attract new grads, you need a good residency program.

[middleagednurse]

The biggest incentive for me is to be treated with respect. I am a human being, not a robot.

[broughden]

Offering to pay off student loans. Maybe offer a certain amount at the 12 month and 24 month anniversary dates.

$5,000 at 12 months and $10,000 at 24 months.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Generous PTO that you can ACTUALLY use- no, well you have 200+ hours of PTO, but you can't take a week off because of staffing issues.

This! Ties directly into staffing

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

If you pay for additional education, either a degree or CEUs, don't set up a lot of hoops to jump through.

[AxelNewRN86]

Competitive pay/ opportunities for overtime, good insurance, ability to cross train (enter into specialities), good management, good patient ratios.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Competitive pay/ opportunities for overtime, good insurance, ability to cross train (enter into specialities), good management, good patient ratios.

But never, EVER mandatory OT. Always have a plan in place that does NOT involve requiring a tired nurse to fix your staffing holes.