My husband and I (also a nurse) were discussing just yesterday about how our hospital spends far more time, money, energy etc. on recruiting new staff and keeping them happy than on retaining the staff they have. Turnover is atrocious -- we're starting a new group of 7 newbies this week. In fact, for the past four years, we've always had 3 - 8 newbies in one stage or another of orientation. Most leave after 1-2 years, many after less than that.
I've been in the same job for over 14 years, and the only perk my seniority buys me is the ability to bid into a straight day slot ahead of the newer staff. Already did that. No more benefit to seniority. I still have to work as many holidays, don't get any advantage in the vacation bidding wars, don't get preference when it comes to education days, etc. So why stay?
The Christmas schedule is coming up, and most of the newbies aren't working Christmas. They aren't required to. Next year, they'll be gone.
I can't help but think that if management threw some money at retaining senior staff instead of spending it all on recruiting, the turnover wouldn't be so great.
As for us -- we're about to leave our jobs and go traveling. Preferably right before Christmas -- I'd like to have both Christmas and New Year's off this year!
As for sign-on bonuses, I could hit whoever invented that for GNs! We have to fill spots somehow, as not enough exp. nurses apply. In order to fill spots we have to compete with hospitals paying bonuses because the GN's choose according to income. They choose employers based on what they can get with least amount of trouble, then complain later that employer chooses staff based on same thing. Really frustrating.
Actually LLG....after working 27 years for the same company as a nurse, $10,000 isn't enough. Heck, the bonus ought to be that much after 10 years employment as a nurse. Nurses should be paid $1000 a year in my opinion just for staying employed at their facility. I'm SURE the higher ups bonuses are much better in a shorter amount of time, don't you think?
And...as for SENIOR NURSES who are afraid to speak up.....THAT AINT NEVER BEEN ME! I am the SENIOR RN who catches crap from the management for speaking up and having the NERVE to have a voice they don't want to pay attention to because they KNOW I'm right, and they are wrong, and they aren't going to make changes that will cost them their own jobs and reputation. Soooooooo...the nurse will walk before a manager will lay their job on the line.
I know YOUNGER nurses afraid to speak up. Actually, I find this to be more of the case because they are just starting out, have young families, and need the paycheck so they choose to remain quiet. They may complain "behind mgmt's back", but when push comes to shove, you'll hear a pin drop before they will own up to the fact that they are tired of being crapped on.
Yes, I too have seen SOME Senior nurses TAKE THE CRAP, but I don't think it is "out of fear". They know how that particular system works, and may choose to go about making changes in a more indirect way........taking the backdoor approach so to speak.....much like a wife may do with an overbearing spouse just to get him to agree or do something he ordinarily wouldn't do with her asking straight out. Know what I mean?
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
10K is better than NADA WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT GOOD, EXPERIENCED NURSES GET A BONUS TO STICK AROUND WHERE I WORK, renee. It IS wrong to pay big $$$ to recruit new people, esp grad nurses, and yet recognize NOT the ones who are "proven valuable"....
but like sjoe says, why bother when they are more of a liability than asset to the greedy employer?
And when do you open your hospital, Renee? I am ready!
.............And when do you open your hospital, Renee? I am ready!
As soon as the MONEY comes my way! I play the lotto just so I can build my hospital. I'm always searching for avenues to open my own hospital while waiting for THE MONEY FACTOR to present itself. :)
I'll be sure and add you to my list of nurses I'd hire, too. :kiss
There is no money in the budget for retention, there is money in the budget for recruitment. When the CEOs decide to allocate for retention you will get retention. The reasons for their lack of interest in retention has been well documented by those that posted before me.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
yea it makes ever so much more sense to spend all that money to recruit new people who likely won't stay on ONE freaking day beyond their commitment----not.
When you get out of the employee mindset and start writing contracts for yourself, to be negotiated with facilities, you start to really understand what is valuable to you and what the facility values. Somewhere in between is the compromise that will take good care of patients while taking care of ourselves.
If more of us were independent, less of us would be posting as above. Independence works! Try it.
As a Senior nurse, I can say I was given nothing but crappy assignments, loaded down with questions from GN's while the CN and their Clinical coordinator gossiped in the HN office. Any time I tried to point out how unfair/unequal the assignments were or why they were getting week-end days off wo a make up, I was given the run around. I tried to work under these conditions for a year. Yes I am concerned about my pension, but in September I had enough. I plan to go back to work soon. I wanted a few weeks of rest and relaxation. I am not looking in my area at all. I know the low salaries, patient/nurse ratios/and the old line about the sign on bonus. I am looking in a state close to me that seems to be able to recognize that nurse's are valuable. I don't think we as nurses will ever be independent. I do think we need a union.
During our last contract negotiations they increased starting salary for new nurses. The difference in hourly salary between a new grad and an experienced nurse is now only $9.20/hr. It was greater but they needed to pay more to hire more nurses in.
Our union is about 6mos or so from negotiating again and one thing they asked the members if they were interested inwas less weekend committments or no weekend committment for senior staff. Boy did that sound good to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The thought of having to work everyother weekend for the rest of my career if I stay at the hospital is a real bummer. That would be one plus to keep me there til I retire. I have almost 17 yrs in and many more to go.
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.
Actually, that was the case many times. Many of the "dinosaurs" didn't want to rock the boat. They complained plenty amonst themselves, but nary a peep when it came to speaking with management.
A lot of new people were often the most difficult, in the eyes of the management, although not necessarily new grads. I mean new to the facility. There was higher turnover among newer people, rather than those clinging to the hope of a pension.
"I can hire two new nurses for what you make, before overtime."
"You're going to be leaving sometime soon anyway."
Funny right at the time I became a senior nurse, we got a new NM who was burned out and had left our floor 5 years previously.
So with over 2 decades same place, same floor, I had the priviledge of 7p-7a q other week, working all 3 holidays at Christmas, and.....the WONDERFUL SUPPORT she and the admin gave me when I was injured. Those young backs with their sign on bonuses are going to have to take up the slack or there won't be ANY senior nurses.
I am the SENIOR RN who catches crap from the management for speaking up and having the NERVE to have a voice they don't want to pay attention to because they KNOW I'm right, and they are wrong, and they aren't going to make changes that will cost them their own jobs and reputation. Soooooooo...the nurse will walk before a manager will lay their job on the line. 
purplemania, BSN, RN
2,617 Posts
As for sign-on bonuses, I could hit whoever invented that for GNs! We have to fill spots somehow, as not enough exp. nurses apply. In order to fill spots we have to compete with hospitals paying bonuses because the GN's choose according to income. They choose employers based on what they can get with least amount of trouble, then complain later that employer chooses staff based on same thing. Really frustrating.