How Do I Retain My Top Nurses?

The nursing shortage has been a driving factor in health care staffing for years. If you’re struggling to meet your RN staffing needs, you’re not alone. Many facilities are unable to retain their top nurses for long despite offering excellent compensation. What is it that qualified RNs look for in their jobs, and how can you retain their talent?

1. Flexible Scheduling

As nurses realize how valuable they are (and how much power they hold), they inevitably want more control over their schedule. This, after all, is the type of independence that everybody would like to achieve in their career. If you don’t allow your RNs some flexibility to choose their preferred shifts, you can expect them to leave for somewhere that will.

2. Recognition for Their Achievements

Across every industry, there’s one complaint that stands out above the rest: Lack of appreciation. According to surveys, two out of three employees would leave an otherwise promising job if they don’t feel that their work is appreciated. Showing adequate appreciation can be as simple as paying attention to your nurses’ work and offering sincere praise. Since it may take just one major complaint to make an employee think about quitting, it will be well worth your efforts.

3. Less Overtime for Nurses

Though there are a few RNs who like to rack up the hours, most prefer a relatively light schedule. In fact, multiple studies have linked heavy work schedules with lower job satisfaction for nurses, especially when long work weeks are combined with stressful, 12-hour shifts. Many facilities have found a sustainable balance in a three day, 36-hour work week. By offering full-time benefits at this level, you can reduce your staff’s stress levels, meet their personal needs, and decrease costly overtime pay.

4. More Frequent Employee Reviews

When handled well, performance evaluations won’t make your staff uncomfortable. On the contrary, regular employee reviews give your RNs a chance to express their needs and concerns, giving you a better idea of what makes them tick and what they need to stay happy.

5. Opportunities for Career Growth

Increasing their skills and taking on new responsibilities are goals most nurses share. By providing ample training opportunities, you will help your staff find value in their jobs that goes far beyond their paychecks. Since standard continuing education credits are cheap and easily obtained online, you will have to dig deeper if you wish to stand out from the competition. For example, offering free training and access to special skills seminars can be a powerful motivator that will decrease your employee turnover rates.

At Quality Medical Staffing, we’re dedicated to helping you build a strong team of talented workers. With access to a highly-qualified pool of RNs, LPNs, and other nursing professionals, we guarantee that we can meet your facility’s staffing demands. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

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