Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1212411
Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com 19 January 13–February 17, 2020 Be sure to give your nurses a voice in the hiring and onboard- ing process.This helps you select the right candidate, make the newcomers feel welcome and build unit cohesion. Experienced nurses can answer questions that a new employee may be too nervous to ask their manager or HR representative. Provide a Welcome Package ✲ When you first go to a new salon or attend the grand open- ing of a store or restaurant, they often distribute coupons or little promotional tokens like pens or magnets. Do the same for new employees to welcome them to the team. Giving new hires small gifts like official hospital bags, coffee mugs or lanyards is a nice, thoughtful gesture. Be creative! Leaders Need a Personal Touch ✲ Managers should get to know the nursing team as individu- als. Take time out of your day to ask how they are doing. Inquire about their spouses, kids and personal lives, and follow up later to emphasize that you're paying attention. Use conversation- starters like: ● "How's Zachary doing at baseball this year?" ● "Did you end up buying that car?" ● "Ready for the holidays?" A manager's personal touch goes a long way. People want to feel like they matter to their leaders. Checking in with them about their lives helps to make this possible. How Can You Help? ✲ If you're a manager, you should walk around the unit and ask how you can help your nurses to be exceptional today. Teamwork helps create a trusting environment for staff. Preparing new IVs, fixing a broken piece of equipment or figuring out staffing for the next shift are easy places to start, but you can also ask the nurses on the floor what else you can do to help. IF YOUR UNIT IS PLAGUED BY HIGH TURNOVER, that's not going to change overnight. However, taking these six steps will help create a positive culture, and build a strong team of nurses who are happy and fulfilled in their work. WN The RN Work Project found that 17 percent of newly licensed RNs leave their jobs within one year. IMPROVING NURSE RETENTION ____________________________________________________________________ Janine Kelbach, RNC-OB, BSN, is a writer and podcast host with experience in bedside nursing, management and education. She owns WriteRN.net and hosts The Savvy Scribe Podcast. She has a husband, two boys and two Great Danes.