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Tips from TSE: Routes to take for staff retention

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, June 19, 2008

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One of a hospital's top priorities should be to retain competent nurses within its facility. Maintaining an enjoyable, positive working environment is essential to nurse retention, and educators can take steps to ensure their nurses are happy to be hired into-and stay at-their organization.

"It's more important than ever that when we bring candidates through the door, we have to start thinking about retention as a recruitment tool," said Lydia Ostermeier, MSN, RN, CHCR, director of nurse recruitment, retention, and work force development at Clarian Health in Indianapolis, IN, during HCPro's recent audioconference "Retention in Nursing: Top Solutions to Keep Nurses from Hire to Retire." "We must aggressively recruit and retain our top talent."

"Let's try to turn the tide on this turnover," said Shelley Cohen, RN, BS, CEN, an educator and consultant at Health Resources Unlimited in Hohenwald, TN, and a speaker with Ostermeier during the audioconference. "You want staff to walk away believing you really are going to do something."

Some key retention strategies include:

• Retention committees. "They do work and they can work," said Cohen.
• Bragging rights. "We do not do enough as organizations to brag about all the accomplishments that our nursing staff are able to complete, whether it's meeting patient safety goals or a group of OR nurses that have just received their surgical certification," said Cohen.
• Focus groups. "Find out what retention efforts are most important to them," said Ostermeier.

Editor's note: This excerpt was taken from the June issue of The Staff Educator. Discover all the benefits of subscribing!

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