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.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Tele, ER, Psych.

Making everyone work weekends, that being Fri, Sat, and Sun, would be nice. Then fix it so we don't have to work every other, but maybe every third weekend, or even once a month.

I have been to too many hospitals that give some folks really sweet schedules and the rest have to do every other, or worse, get weekends flipped without consent.

There has got to be a better way to handle holidays. Maybe 4 hour shifts instead of full 8- or 12- hour ones. Those are two big annoyances for me. Especially since I go to church and am active in my church. I don't know what the big deal is to want a certain day off, if it makes me a better employee.

I also agree with the idea of being fed at 2am. Night shift feels like being a step child most of the time.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

These all sound pretty good to me. Id be happier with resonable staffing!!!!

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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ OUR HOSPITAL DOES GIVE FULL TIME BENEFITS TO THOSE WHO WORK 36 HRS (3- 12 HR SHIFTS)--BUT NOT EVERYONE CAN DO 12 HRS SO.....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

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GOOD COMMENT I AGREE!!! SOME APPRECIATION FOR A JOB WELL DONE WOULD BE NICE.

If you want to retain people, quit spending big bucks (upwards of 5-10K) to attract/recruit newbies and invest that same money back into your experienced and senior staff. New grads should not make anywhere NEAR what 10 or 20-year nurses make, ever. Yet they do in many places. It's an insult.

Treat your long-term employees like gold. Thank them once in a while for what they do and pay them well. Listen to them when they express concerns; they ARE your eyes and ears as to what is really going on the hospital, after all.

People will stay if they feel appreciated. Beauty salons, well, neato concept, but it's its a gimick. Put that money and respect where your mouth is. What will keep me around is if you treat me like the valued, educated, experienced professional I AM. It's real simple from where I sit.

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I would like to see our hospital stop floating people to units that they have little experience in, then insisting that they take a full pt load. We have had a lot of nurses say No Thanks to a job when they find out the hospital floating policy. We have also had nurses leave because they felt their license at risk because of this policy.

FLOAT POOL NURSES AT OUR FACILITY MAKE ALMOST 10/HR MORE THAN ME --I THINK THAT IS UNFAIR ESP WHEN I'M THE ONE IN CHARGE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH MORE AND IF THEY PULL US TO ANOTHER UNIT WE DON'T GET PAID ANY MORE THAN USUAL. IM SURE THIS IS SAME MOST PLACES BUT I THINK IT STINKS

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WOW - $10 more per hr?! Our float nurses don't get ANY differential. They are in the float pool because they WANT to float (which is beyond my comprehension, LOL) - not because they make any more money to do so.

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Yep 10---and If They Float To All Floors And Aren't "unit-based" Float Poll Then Its 12and Some Change---what A Rip Off Hunh?

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Hi there.

Here are some suggestions that might be a good one!

Introduce your co workers to legislations -- have a FRW group in your workplace contact http://www.nfrw.org!

Introduce union in your job contact http://www.aflcio.org/!

Introduce bible study in your job contact http://www.calvarychapel.org/!

Introduce CCR in your work place contact http://www.ccrgop.org/!

Introduce in your work area potluck and Christmas Party and once a month birthday for that month potlucks!

Introduce going a bowling league in your work area!

Introduce a nurse of the month or week or year with a special parking lot!

Introduce a bonus on Christmas!

Introduce labor bueruea liason in your work area contact http://www.dol.gov/!

Introduce O/T and 1 1/2 pay and 2 double pay and back to back shifts for qualified nurses who are rested and are able to work that way -- do not over tire employees!

Introduce CEU and siminars at employees expense on sight!

Introduce HR on sight!

Mabuhay!

Kathy

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Specializes in Emergency.

The first 2 suggestions sound great, especially the 24 hr daycare................

I'd even pay for it.

I don't have any new suggestions since i'm new to this facility.

xo Jen

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Specializes in cardiac, all dx needing monitoring.

I would like to see massage offered, especially during or after a 12hr shift. Just the shoulders and back. Some of those other ideas sound pretty good. After working at my hospital for 20 plus years, I finally am off every Sunday, :rotfl: work every other Sat. All staff nurses work every other weekend up thru 20 years senority. And then can cut down when staffing allows. Also, I've been able to do combo 8hrs and 12 hrs.

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I would like to see massage offered, especially during or after a 12hr shift. Just the shoulders and back.

Oh yeah! I was waiting for someone to say massage. Just a nice chair massage available after any shift. I'd even be willing to schedule an appointment....

Here are simple things:

- A stapler that works

- Copy machine that works

- Thermometers that work

- Computers that work

- Onsite yoga or pilates or aerobics classes (all these community advertisements about the benefits of exercise...but why not encourage it in your own employees?)

- Better workflow design so I'm not having to walk all those extra steps over the course of 12 hours.

- To NOT have to dump overflowing trash cans

- To see some of the "Nurses Week" goodies at 2 AM (I'm also a night shifter and it often feels like we are simply ignored.)

- A manager who listens more than he/she talks

- A manager who I can TRUST to go to bat and stand FIRM for her/his nurses -- not fold under for a temper-tantrum-throwing doctor, a lawsuit-threatening nutcase family, or a budget-banging executive

- FULL tuition reimbursement for any applicable class/program or CEU or seminar I attend. (If they can pay for new grads BSN tuition, why not my MSN tuition?)

- An opportunity to attend important hospital meetings or classes at a time OTHER THAN 1 PM (how about during *my* daytime --- say 1 AM).

- The opportunity to peer interview so that my colleagues and I have SOME say in who is hired to work alongside us.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
FLOAT POOL NURSES AT OUR FACILITY MAKE ALMOST 10/HR MORE THAN ME --I THINK THAT IS UNFAIR ESP WHEN I'M THE ONE IN CHARGE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH MORE AND IF THEY PULL US TO ANOTHER UNIT WE DON'T GET PAID ANY MORE THAN USUAL. IM SURE THIS IS SAME MOST PLACES BUT I THINK IT STINKS

I work in the float pool because I love it. I do Med surg only ( not critical care). We make $3.00/hr more because management said that we have no choice where we go and sometimes we have to run charge on certain units ( it doesn't happen often at all) and it is expected that we adapt to whatever the need is. I get benefits ,vacation/sick time etc. I don't get involved in the politics of the units which is nice and people are really happy to see you when you show up on their units. If it weren't for us, they'd be working with allot less people. Since we float, we know a "litttle bit more" about "allot of stuff" and are good resources. :balloons:

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