Nurse Retention: Creating a Culture of Committed Caregivers (Podcast)

Nurse retention begins long before caregivers accept an offer to join a healthcare team. It starts with how the organization presents itself to the community and extends through the interview process, into the first year of employment and beyond.

According to Josalyn Meyer, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Clinical Nursing Director at Cleveland Clinic, retention is also about creating a place where nurses don’t just come to work, but want to stay and grow.

“Caregiver retention has always mattered, but it’s more critical now than ever," she says. "Nurses are the backbone of quality care. Retaining them means preserving the wisdom, stability and compassion our patients rely on.”

In this episode of Nurse Essentials, Meyer shares insights gleaned from her 20-year healthcare career and pivotal roles serving on Cleveland Clinic’s Enterprise and Nurse Retention Councils. She discusses:

• How hiring, interviewing and shadowing practices influence retention
• Key drivers of employee satisfaction
• The role of recognition, individualized support and organizational initiatives
• Why keeping experienced nurses matters

Click the podcast player above to listen to the episode now, or read on for a short, edited excerpt. Check out more Nurse Essentials episodes at my.clevelandclinic.org/podcasts/nurse-essentials or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcast excerpt

Podcast host Carol Pehotsky, DNP, RN, NEA-BC: Why is nurse retention so important? Given the many [imperatives] we have in healthcare, why should it remain a priority?

Meyer: First, it’s important to remember that nurse retention encompasses all caregivers who touch our patients. RNs, of course, but also LPNs, nursing assistants and others. I can't tell you how devastating it can be when a nurse leaves for any reason, including retirement. The amount of knowledge that walks out the door…you're not going to get that back anytime soon. So retaining caregivers and allowing them to develop helps ensure high-quality care. There is so much research [to show] that the more experienced you are as a nurse, the better patient outcomes you can have.

Pehotsky: What are some things that nurses should be advocating for if they're not getting the individual recognition or attention that they need to feel supported? And, as a leader, how do I help everyone on my team know that I care about them?

Meyer: That's a tricky one because recognition is not one size fits all. What I like and prefer may not be what you like and prefer. First, it’s important for nurse leaders to know their teams and be willing to ask: What does [support] look like for you? [That information] really needs to come directly from the caregivers themselves. Shared governance can also be incredibly impactful in that respect.

Sure, it can be exciting to see your name on the screen at a town hall and be acknowledged in front of 1,000 people…but recognition comes in many different forms, so it’s sometimes helpful to take a step back and reflect. Maybe [you’ve received] an email from a colleague saying, “Hey, thanks! That was awesome.” Or [you encounter] a patient who says, “You really made my day.” You know, those words of encouragement can be pretty powerful. We should remember to take those affirmations to heart rather than sitting back and waiting for a big, grand recognition to happen.