Why do nurses leave or stay? Nurse retention - a global issue.

Abstract

The shortage of registered nurses is a global concern and so understanding and developing innovative and effective ways to prepare, recruit and retain nurses has become critical. As nurse shortages compromise healthcare systems, workers’ wellbeing, patient care and the reputation of the profession, it is as much an issue for nurse educators as for health service providers. This plenary session describes a collaboration between a UK University and a large health service provider to develop and test an innovative evidence-based model for improving nurse retention: TRACS (Transition, Resilience, Authentic leadership, Commitment, Support). This is a mixed method study with six phases across two years. Phase 1 involved analyzing current evidence and collecting base line data (retention, recruitment, job satisfaction, exit interviews). It revealed that absentee (sickness) rates, monthly staff turnover, % of vacant posts were highest in the Older Person’s Medicine (OPM) directorate. Phase 2 employed two tools (PES-NWI and Maslach) to survey the practice environment and perceptions of burnout in two directorates, Surgical and OPM (response rate= 44%). Results indicated that nurses perceived supportive managers, teamwork and staff development were most strongly linked with a positive practice environment. Lack of staff/resources had the most negative effect. Nurses within OPM reported higher levels of burnout than those within the surgical directorate. Phase 3 involved consultation with a range of staff and patients to co-create a retention strategy to inform the TRACS toolkit. We will explore interventions and the final evaluative phases of the study. Evidence-based strategies to address nurse retention are a priority. The TRACS model involves strong collaboration between service providers and nurse educators and aims to strengthen loyalty, recruitment and transition in a competitive employment market.