Article Review - Nursing Retention

Article Review #2 - Nursing Retention

Karen Anderson

August 2, 2014

        The article I chose for my #2 review was called, Recruitment & Retention Report: Strategies to Boost RN Retention. The author was James L. Perrine, which is found in the Nursing Management Journal, April 2009, Volume 40 Number 4. The purpose of his article was to alert members in the health care profession ways that they can keep experienced nurses satisfied and in their organization. He begins by discussing topics that are typically the reasons why a nurse would leave the work place. Some of those include: unreasonable salaries, nurses feeling overworked, a decreased amount of time being spent with each of their patients, and personal reasons such as not spending enough time home with their family. In my personal opinion, I do agree with the author on reasons why nurses would leave the work place. My family is also very important to me and I like being there for my 5 year old daughter, especially during important events at school. Patient care is 1 component that many health care organizations are scored on, when patients fill out surveys, rating their experiences when they were hospitalized. Since the nurse to patient ratios are increasingly high, patient care is decreased. Many nurses do not like it when they cannot spend an appropriate amount of time with each patient, mainly because of their increased workload. Some nurses that I personally know feel like they are not giving their patients the adequate care that is needed. I do agree with how nurses feel regarding their patient care. In my respiratory profession, it is also an issue and I do not like minimizing my time with patients either, but there are many days when it is necessary, in order to complete all tasks.

        The article also discusses strategies that could be used to help retain nursing staff. According to Perrine, by acknowledging and recognizing staff for their overall growth in the nursing profession, or personal accomplishments, it makes the employee feel appreciated and

special. In my opinion, by acknowledging employees for their excellent work, it should make them feel important and appreciated, which in return, usually keeps them satisfied. In my past, I worked for a hospital organization, that was so under-staffed and ungrateful. They never rewarded or recognized anyone for any good deed that was performed. The work conditions were so poor that even some staff told me, they will never work in any hospital again. In my opinion, people like being recognized for their hard work, even if it is part of their job position. Another strategy Perrine mentioned was to include nurses in the decision making process. This could in department issues, allowing them to make their own schedules, policy changes, or even in helping how to decrease work loads, etc. I know that in my profession, respiratory therapists have been included into helping develop protocols that can be used in the absence of a physician. In my opinion, this gives us the autonomy in our specialty and does make us feel important to health care. I feel that incorporating staff into the decision making process of their department or profession will continue making them feel appreciated and needed. All of the strategies listed in the article, I believe would definitely help any organization retain their nursing staff.