The Children’s Hospital Focuses on Recruitment and Retention
from Caring For Our Future, Summer 2003
While the nursing shortage has recently gained public attention, those of us working in nursing have been feeling the effects for some time. Effects of excessive employee turnover on remaining employees can lower morale and add extra stress by compelling them to achieve the same level of productivity. Additionally, turnover represents a significant cost to the organization.
In November 1999, The Children's Hospital formed a task force to review and analyze the recruitment and retention issues in the hospital. Members of the task force included staff nurses representing various departments of the hospital. At the time, the hospital had many vacant nursing positions and there was a feeling that nurses were leaving the hospital. The goals of the task force were to identify nursing retention issues, serve as a process for staff recommendations to be reported to management, and provide a forum for individual/unit support and possible solutions. In October 2001, a group of nursing directors identifying similar issues joined this task force.
Both groups identified several areas they felt were of high concern for the nursing staff. These issues were: recruitment of qualified staff, paid time off (PTO), benefits, differentials, scheduling, recognition, support and environmental issues. A summary of the discussions from the Recruitment and Retention Task Force was presented to the hospital Operations Council. Using feedback from the hospital Employee Opinion Survey and from the Retention Task Force, several changes have been implemented at The Children's Hospital.
2000-2002 Accomplishments
Recruitment Outcomes
- Career days for high-school students
- Participation in community-based career fairs
- Travel nurse incentive program
- Nursing web page development
- Critical Care Open House (resulted in 23 experienced RN hires!)
- Clinical Assistant and Work Study roles for students
- Revised benefit and compensation plans
Retention Outcomes
Recognition
- Hospital-wide recognition program
- Magnet Status groundwork begun
Staffing/scheduling
- Admissions Nurse Role
- Flexible staffing models
The Recruitment and Retention Task Force re-convened in December 2002 with many original members returning. During the first meeting, the group decided to get a current "pulse" on the nursing-staff feelings about recruitment and retention issues. In April 2003, a survey was developed and distributed by task force representatives to clinical nurses ranging from Clinical Nurse I to Clinical Nurse IV and Clinical Coordinators from the inpatient, ambulatory, community health, psychiatric, after hours and satellite areas. The response was phenomenal with more than 50 percent of the surveys returned! The Recruitment and Retention task force members entered survey responses into a database for data analysis. One question on the survey asked what nurses at The Children's Hospital like about their working environment.
Responses to this question are categorized below.
Results from this question show that positive relationships with co-workers, team members and the patient population mean employee satisfaction.
No single step can contribute solely to the outcomes. The categories are neither mutually exclusive nor exhaustive. Rather, a combined effort within and across departments is important to recruit and retain staff. Seeking input from staff when developing and implementing retention efforts keeps the organization involved, instills a sense of belonging and commitment.
What next?
In order for nursing to survive and thrive, the cyclical swings of the nursing shortage must be addressed. While institutions cannot influence the increasing population or aging of current nursing staff which are major causes for the current nursing shortage, we can create programs to attract and retain competent nurses and future nursing leaders. Identifying employee satisfaction variables specific to each institution is essential.
The Recruitment and Retention task force will continue to analyze the data from the current survey, staff feedback, and brainstorm ideas focusing on retention. When employees become insiders, they are more likely to stay. Retention is the key to recruitment.
