Retaining senior staff? What a Concept!

fergus51 · Oct 6, 2003

I think it's a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, you need to keep senior staff happy. On the other hand, if you go to far that way, you'll lose all your newer staff members. In most places I have worked seniority gets you some influence in vacation times, holidays and shifts, but not too much (you can't have all summer off and never work Xmas). I found that fair. New staff always had to work Xmas one year, and then get dibbs on getting it off the next year.

sjoe · Oct 6, 2003

The last I read, nursing turnover in the US averages about 25%.

Many facilities prefer to lose their more experienced nurses because:

1) they often are paid more

2) they often are not so easily pushed around as newer employees and more likely to stand up for themselves, each other, and patients

3) they may begin to question why things are done a certain way (like why there is minimal incentive to stay, e.g.)

4) they have been around long enough to realize that management has no intention of improving things for employees or patients

5) they often have more vacation time, so create more "holes" in the schedule

6) and worst of all, they may actually qualify for a pension at some point if they stay long enough.

live4today, RN · Oct 6, 2003

Originally posted by sjoe
The last I read, nursing turnover in the US averages about 25%.

Many facilities prefer to lose their more experienced nurses because:
1) they often are paid more
2) they often are not so easily pushed around as newer employees and more likely to stand up for themselves, each other, and patients
3) they may begin to question why things are done a certain way (like why there is minimal incentive to stay, e.g.)
4) they have been around long enough to realize that management has no intention of improving things for employees or patients

Now THESE FOUR POINTS I can say a very loud AMEN to! :lol2:

roxannekkb · Oct 6, 2003

Originally posted by sjoe
The last I read, nursing turnover in the US averages about 25%.

Many facilities prefer to lose their more experienced nurses because:
1) they often are paid more
2) they often are not so easily pushed around as newer employees and more likely to stand up for themselves, each other, and patients
3) they may begin to question why things are done a certain way (like why there is minimal incentive to stay, e.g.)
4) they have been around long enough to realize that management has no intention of improving things for employees or patients
5) they often have more vacation time, so create more "holes" in the schedule
6) and worst of all, they may actually qualify for a pension at some point if they stay long enough.

Isn't that the truth. And how sad for healthcare and patients.

But hey, healthcare is about profit, isn't it?

Nursing schools really need to weave assertive training into curriculums, and turn out warrior nurses who are going to stand up for their rights and not take any bull sh**t. I have no idea what they're taught these days, but the martyr image has got to go. It should be pounded into their heads that they deserve to be treated well, deserve respect, and deserve to be paid well. Organizing and unions should also be part of it.

But....maybe I'm dreaming....

fergus51 · Oct 6, 2003

My nursing curiculum did include assertiveness training! It seems to me that the more experienced nurses tend to be the martyrs (not taking breaks, not insisting on being paid for their time), but that's just my personal experience.

sharann, BSN, RN · Oct 6, 2003

Fergus,

I find the same at my hospital. I am the "newest" 3 years out of school, and the nurses who have been there since forever are scared into being good little nurses. They are so scared they'll lose their pensions that they kiss butt and grouse in private. I tend to be the more assertive outwardly. I'm not saying they are wrong or right, it's the way they have been"trained"(or threatened into compliance over the years). But, I get REALLY tired of hearing them complain about being abused...and then not forming a unified front and protesting.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Oct 6, 2003

while I agree in general that tenured staff ought to have incentives for remaining on the job, I do not see any specific things in this thread that managment can do to achieve that goal. Can you be more specific? Are you saying vacation time and holidays off should be based on seniority? We alternate: if you worked Christmas this year you are off next year. Some people don't celebrate this (or other holidays). How would you account for that?

SmilingBluEyes · Oct 6, 2003

how about paying BONUSES for staying on, with all the precious experience they bring....

RATHER THAN PAYING SIGN-ON BONUSES for UNPROVEN, UNKNOWN people????

THAT seems to be a start, eh??????

Ican't say how much $$$$ my hospital puts out in sign-on bonuses to recruit people they do not even know.....and sometimes these people prove to be a poor fit for the unit, for some reason or another. HOW BOUT INVESTING IN THOSE YOU KNOW WELL, PERFORM WELL and are WILLING TO STAY????

Oh what a concept huh.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 6, 2003

Some hospitals do rewared seniority. At my hospital, nurses get a retention bonus approximately every 2 years. The longer you stay, the bigger the bonus. It starts small, $500 after the first year, then increases each milestone after that. By the time a nurse has 27 years seniority, her bonus is $10,000 and it becomes yearly.

Also, vacation time increases up through 10 years of seniority and there are some scheduling benefits.

We need to recognize those hospitals that are trying to reward experience. Too many people over-generalize and categorize all managers as evil or all hospitals as abusive, etc. The ones trying to do the right thing need more recognition. That positive recognition and reinforcement might lead more hospitals to do more on the retention end.

llg

sjoe · Oct 6, 2003

sharann writes: "the nurses who have been there since forever are scared into being good little nurses. They are so scared they'll lose their pensions that they kiss butt and grouse in private."

Exactly my point. Those who can stand up for themselves have been, and will be, chased off--yourself included, unless you "straighten up" "be a team player," and "go with the program."

And those who do stay, however much butt they kiss, can expect ever-increasing pressures to leave, oppression, criticism, involuntary schedule shifting, or whatever else it takes until they also leave (or retire early at a substantially reduced pension)--particularly as their pension dates near.

Seen it far too many times.

SmilingBluEyes · Oct 6, 2003

oK LLG WHERE DO I SIGN UP???