What ONE change would you make to increase nurse retention where you work?

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I've noticed many hospitals paying out bonuses up to five thousand for new hires/grads in an attempt to increase nurse retention. Let's say your hospital came to you and said "Nurse Smith" we empower you to implement one initiative to increase job satisfaction, and hopefully nurse retention. Cost is always an issue, but we will give you maximum leeway espeicially if you can make a strong argument.

Here are some things I might suggest:

1. Locker rooms where nurses could shower after their shifts. Seriously, who likes to drive home in need of a shower.

2. Twenty-four hour on site/ or almost onsite childcare that would be subsidized in part by the hospital.

3. A "meal card" which would entitle you to a certain number of free meals. Food is cheap and buys loyalty.

4. Free cosmetic procedures if the facility offered that service to the public. You would have to schedule during less busy times and be willing to let a resident do the procedure.

5. An onsite beauty shop that offered free hair/nail care for full time nurses.

6. I would try to offer a variety of MSN/NP programs and make them available free to full time nurses.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
I've noticed many hospitals paying out bonuses up to five thousand for new hires/grads in an attempt to increase nurse retention. Let's say your hospital came to you and said "Nurse Smith" we empower you to implement one initiative to increase job satisfaction, and hopefully nurse retention. Cost is always an issue, but we will give you maximum leeway espeicially if you can make a strong argument.

Here are some things I might suggest:

1. Locker rooms where nurses could shower after their shifts. Seriously, who likes to drive home in need of a shower.

2. Twenty-four hour on site/ or almost onsite childcare that would be subsidized in part by the hospital.

3. A "meal card" which would entitle you to a certain number of free meals. Food is cheap and buys loyalty.

4. Free cosmetic procedures if the facility offered that service to the public. You would have to schedule during less busy times and be willing to let a resident do the procedure.

5. An onsite beauty shop that offered free hair/nail care for full time nurses.

6. I would try to offer a variety of MSN/NP programs and make them available free to full time nurses.

I second all the above :yeahthat:

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I second all the above :yeahthat:

Options... I want to have the choice to do 8 or 12 hour shifts. Days or nights, to work with certain co workers, to wear my own scrubs, to swith from prn to full time as needed to accomadat my silly life style.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i've noticed many hospitals paying out bonuses up to five thousand for new hires/grads in an attempt to increase nurse retention. let's say your hospital came to you and said "nurse smith" we empower you to implement one initiative to increase job satisfaction, and hopefully nurse retention. cost is always an issue, but we will give you maximum leeway espeicially if you can make a strong argument.

here are some things i might suggest:

1. locker rooms where nurses could shower after their shifts. seriously, who likes to drive home in need of a shower.

2. twenty-four hour on site/ or almost onsite childcare that would be subsidized in part by the hospital.

3. a "meal card" which would entitle you to a certain number of free meals. food is cheap and buys loyalty.

4. free cosmetic procedures if the facility offered that service to the public. you would have to schedule during less busy times and be willing to let a resident do the procedure.

5. an onsite beauty shop that offered free hair/nail care for full time nurses.

6. i would try to offer a variety of msn/np programs and make them available free to full time nurses.

are you serious about these? some of them seem really sill! onsite beauty shop? free cosmetic procedures?

[color=#4b0082]the locker room with shower is a great idea -- then i could ride my bike or jog in to work, shower, and change. (not that i do either, but i know lots of folks who do.)

[color=#4b0082]child care and elder care are good options -- wouldn't have to be free but would have to take sick kids when they can't go to school and their regular day care won't take them. i know many nurses who would love to have the option of bringing demented mama in for daycare (or night time care) while they work.

[color=#4b0082]full time benefits for a 36 hour (3 12 hour shifts) work week would be great.

[color=#4b0082]other suggestions:

[color=#4b0082]>>scheduling as advertised! don't tell me that with the new computerized schedule system, i'll walk away from the computer knowing exactly what my schedule is if that isn't the case. it makes me really cranky to have someone futz with my schedule when i think it's set!

[color=#4b0082]>>food available 24/7. the free food is a good idea, but i'd kill to be able to buy food in the cafeteria at 2am!

[color=#4b0082]>>management to serve special meals to the night shift on holidays. i worked at a hospital that did this, and it made the employees feel valued. especially the night shift. management also served holiday meals to the day shift, and as you came through the line they made pleasant chitchat as they served you turkey and dressing, expressing appreciation for your contributions. in most institutions, management is scarce as hen's teeth on holidays, so this really made us feel as if we were all in it together!

[color=#4b0082]ruby

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-->Totally FREE access to the health club that is already on-site.

-->Food available on the noc shift.

-->REGULAR use of the term "thanks for a job well done despite the high census/low staffing".

-->Free use of hospital services (i.e. lab, xray, ED) as ordered by my doc

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How about worthy insurance?

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How about worthy insurance?

Oh, and get rid of the Co worker that I can't stand...(neither can anyone else)

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

* More money. After all, nurses with more experience deserve those raises that they usually only can get by starting at another facility.

* Keep docs from yelling at us nurses.

* Cheaper health care insurance.

* Better pension plans.

* Safer staffing levels.

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the idea of the beauty shop was that it could be subsidized with paying clients (patients, visitors, and people who live close to the hospital) which would all but pay for the salary and space of the shop. therefore giving free cuts, perms, ect to staff would represent a minimal cost to the facility. the idea of a great benefit is one which costs the facility less to provide than the perceived benefit that the employee feels. thus, as an employer you want to provide a benefit that only costs you say fifty cents, but which the employee perceives as being worth a dollar.

many people forget that things like employer paid health insurance didn't start primarily because employers were "concerned for their employees welll being." instead it was seen as a way where the employer could provide a benefit that would be percieved as valuble to the employee at a cost less than paying an additional dollar in salary.

are you serious about these? some of them seem really sill! onsite beauty shop? free cosmetic procedures?

[color=#4b0082]the locker room with shower is a great idea -- then i could ride my bike or jog in to work, shower, and change. (not that i do either, but i know lots of folks who do.)

[color=#4b0082]child care and elder care are good options -- wouldn't have to be free but would have to take sick kids when they can't go to school and their regular day care won't take them. i know many nurses who would love to have the option of bringing demented mama in for daycare (or night time care) while they work.

[color=#4b0082]full time benefits for a 36 hour (3 12 hour shifts) work week would be great.

[color=#4b0082]other suggestions:

[color=#4b0082]>>scheduling as advertised! don't tell me that with the new computerized schedule system, i'll walk away from the computer knowing exactly what my schedule is if that isn't the case. it makes me really cranky to have someone futz with my schedule when i think it's set!

[color=#4b0082]>>food available 24/7. the free food is a good idea, but i'd kill to be able to buy food in the cafeteria at 2am!

[color=#4b0082]>>management to serve special meals to the night shift on holidays. i worked at a hospital that did this, and it made the employees feel valued. especially the night shift. management also served holiday meals to the day shift, and as you came through the line they made pleasant chitchat as they served you turkey and dressing, expressing appreciation for your contributions. in most institutions, management is scarce as hen's teeth on holidays, so this really made us feel as if we were all in it together!

[color=#4b0082]ruby

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the idea of the beauty shop was that it could be subsidized with paying clients (patients, visitors, and people who live close to the hospital) which would all but pay for the salary and space of the shop. therefore giving free cuts, perms, ect to staff would represent a minimal cost to the facility. the idea of a great benefit is one which costs the facility less to provide than the perceived benefit that the employee feels. thus, as an employer you want to provide a benefit that only costs you say fifty cents, but which the employee perceives as being worth a dollar.

would be percieved

i was surprised the other day when i went into a local hospital and when i went to the records office (same floor that the gift shop is on) they had a beauty salon right there... and it was packed... this is a pretty large hospital that has seperate building for cancer patients, has a large onsite rehab, etc and it seemed like the majority of people in the salon were family members of those that were getting treatment elsewhere in the hospital.

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I've noticed many hospitals paying out bonuses up to five thousand for new hires/grads in an attempt to increase nurse retention. Let's say your hospital came to you and said "Nurse Smith" we empower you to implement one initiative to increase job satisfaction, and hopefully nurse retention. Cost is always an issue, but we will give you maximum leeway espeicially if you can make a strong argument.

Here are some things I might suggest:

1. Locker rooms where nurses could shower after their shifts. Seriously, who likes to drive home in need of a shower.

2. Twenty-four hour on site/ or almost onsite childcare that would be subsidized in part by the hospital.

3. A "meal card" which would entitle you to a certain number of free meals. Food is cheap and buys loyalty.

4. Free cosmetic procedures if the facility offered that service to the public. You would have to schedule during less busy times and be willing to let a resident do the procedure.

5. An onsite beauty shop that offered free hair/nail care for full time nurses.

6. I would try to offer a variety of MSN/NP programs and make them available free to full time nurses.

Guranteed low nurse to patient ratios, all shifts.

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* More money. After all, nurses with more experience deserve those raises that they usually only can get by starting at another facility.

* Keep docs from yelling at us nurses.

* Cheaper health care insurance.

* Better pension plans.

* Safer staffing levels.

yep, yep, yep, yep, yep

all those would DEFINITELY result in retention/recruitment

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