W
HEN I STARTED my nursing career almost 15 years ago, I
remember my colleagues telling me, "Good luck on night shifts
— you'll be there a while." They weren't kidding: I was on nights
for 10 years, waiting for someone to leave so that I could move to another area.
Today, hospital turnover is so high that I often see nurses landing their
first day shift spots in less than two years — sometimes in less than a year.
My hospital and specialty area are not unique. Nurse turnover and retention
are nationwide problems.
IMPROVING
NURSE
RETENTION
Six strategies to
reduce
RN turnover
By Janine Kelbach, RNC-OB, BSN
( )