Proposed Recruitment/Retention Plan your opinion?

[CEN35]

Just recently our hospital came up with a plan for recruitment and retention (allegedly). I want to hear your opinion on it, before I voice mine. Since none of you (to my knowledge) work in my system.

1. Cetrification Incentive Bonus - Basically if you have your CEN, CNOR, CCRN etc etc, they will pay out an extra $320 a year.

2. Hire on Bonus -

New Grad - $2000-$5000.

Experienced nurses $3000-$5000.

To receive the entire amount you must stay for 2 years.

3. Holiday premium pay -

Time and a half, forThanksgiving, Christmas day, and New years day.

4. Night shift Incentive - 3% more per hour to 10% more per hour, depending on which hospital. This is paid at the end of each quarter.

5. Preceptor pay -

Preceptors will be paid .75 cents an hour more, while precepting a potential new RN. This comes as a lump sum, at the end of the precption time frame.

6. orientation pay -

AN extra $50 will be paid to those that orient a new employee, from time of start until probationary period ends.

lets hear it all now!

Rick ???????????

[Charles S. Smith, RN, MS]

Rick, I have to agree with the previous posters that what you are seeing is a short term fix focused on recruitment. At best, you have a 2 year commitment from some folks and even that is not binding. Recruitment is important and incentives to make recruitment packages attractive is fine. My questions are: How will your organization change its culture to keep talent? Is there something in the organization that drives nurses away? Are there more competitive offers out there? Are there more attractive fields that nurses are moving toward?

Your organization and others clearly need to focus on whether organizational commitment and retention are even feasible alternatives given the high demand for nurses nationwide. Sinking extra cash into salaries and incentives is wonderful for the nurses, but it fails to address the changing paradigm of employment in hospitals. I can tell you that there is no amount of money available to attract me back as an employee of a hospital. I am independent, my business partners are independent and we fill a valuable need in the hospitals where we work. We provide expert nursing practice at a fair rate of compensation. You can visit our website listed above for more information, including teleclass offerings.

Best regards

chas

[pickledpepperRN]

All About Money?

Not for me. I quit a job with much more money, 8 instead of 2 paid holidays,$100 a month for CCRN etc. Went to a hospital with respect for all from housekeeper to CEO. MDs always polite (really!) Not perfect staffing, but a true attempt to staff by what the RN assessing the patient recommends. Management RNs have worked all night doing direct care.

Yearly pay decreased by $8,000 a year and I'm much happier. Less illness too. No amount of money can make me so afraid I will miss something important that I dream of it and worry even on days off! I am a nurse who put a young man in a body bag after elective surgery because of unsafe staffing and replacement of RNs with aides.

Someone on this site wrote, "It's the job stupid!" in reference to the shortage. www.calnurse.org