What has your workplace done to retain nurses?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm looking to come up with some good ideas to help my unit with nurse retention. So what have you come up with in your workplace, or heard of in other areas that would you would like to see put in place on your units? I'm looking for fun and simple things to implement. Keep in mind this is for a single unit, not hospital wide. I'm trying to avoid monetary awards as well. Thanks!

safe and adequate staffing.

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management has done nothing in our region to retain nurses. they are actually pushing them out--its weird.

we have over 150 posted positions in our region and no incentive to come.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.
Yep. People don't really quit their jobs. They quit their managers.

Amen! We've lost 17 staff since change in mgmt last year & after recent events, there is not a single nurse who isn't dusting off her resume. Essentially, we were betrayed & lied to regarding staffing. We were given increased staffing 6 wks ago as a trial, increased our HCAHPS as hoped/demanded, listed openings to hire more staff, then...smackdown! Took back the additional staff & we now get LESS staff than we started with before.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Fair pay, positive work environment, educational opportunities and appreciation from management.

Our manager writes Christmas cards every year, and each card is a personal and individual note to that particular staff member outlining what our manager appreciates about that person. I don't need the cheap pens or hospital T shirts, but those individual notes mean an awful lot!

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

we are about the only unit that does not do some sort of self-scheduling. I LIKE to worl weekends and have asked to work the one weekday that hubby is off. It is always hit or miss whether I get the days off I need. It costs me $50 every day that I have to have a sitter to come and get my kids to school (both hubby and I have to leave very early on work days). It's not like I am asking for every weekend off. Staffing issues have pushed some away. Also they hire a lot of young nurses from far away and they all seem to get homesick.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

What about self-scheduling?

I agree that if staff retention is an issue, efforts need to be big. I got a nice thermal mug for Nurses' Week once--a really nice one w/ a comfy handle that actually keeps my coffee warm--but it did nothing to convince me to stay in that place. Kudos notes wouldn't have convinced me to stay. Free lunches would not have convinced me to stay. We worked like Clydesdales and ran like Thoroughbreds, with very little backup.

To convince staff to stay, you need to offer them something they're not likely to get elsewhere.

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