Leaders Offer Solutions: Tips to Retain Nursing Staff

by | Jan 25, 2016 | 16 comments

One of the biggest challenges faced by today’s nursing leader is retaining quality staff. Nurses come into the profession with their perception of the role and find, once involved in a job as a nurse, that this may be different than what they had expected.

I often receive emails from nurses, sharing with me their biggest challenge as it relates to their nursing careers. I’d like to share some of these emails with you (anonymous and slightly changed to protect privacy) so that you can read for yourself the words of nursing staff.

“The main challenge I seem to have in enjoying my career is the added demands my manager puts on me, which takes away from the time I can spend with patients.”

“I got into nursing because of my love for integrative therapies. I live in a city where integrative health is very well accepted, but the department of the hospital that I work in does not seem quite up-to-speed on this. A very small team of co-workers and I are putting together a proposal self-care/mindfulness training for our staff, but I am feeling discouraged because of funding/politics.”

“My biggest obstacle to enjoying my nursing career is the negativity of my nurse and physician colleagues. I am in nursing informatics and help providers with orders, documents and flow sheets in the electronic medical record. Part of my job is to make sure we follow regulatory agency and policy requirements. The whining and complaining are worthy of Oscar nominations!  It is difficult to help when you are harshly criticized for just doing your job.”

Leaders Offer Solutions: Tips to Retain Nursing Staff #nurse #nursingWhile the three scenarios presented above are quite different, there is a common theme. The nurses who emailed me feel torn. Pulled in one direction while wanting to go in another. Split down the middle and feeling powerless by the lack of control. The inability to do something about what they want to change and/or impact makes them feel frustrated by their work.

This is an all too common theme in nursing. I hear it in the emails I receive. I learn about it from the groups I host on social media, where nurses are posting their frustrations and challenges. I talk to people over the phone and in person. I am constantly being told ‘what’s wrong’ and wonder… how can we make it right?

As a nurse leader, there is one thing that must be done to support the nursing staff. Offer solutions.

Yes, in a time when resources are scarce, budgets are cut and staffing is low it is hard to remain optimistic and solution oriented. Yet it is imperative for our nursing leadership to do so in order to engage and continue to inspire nurses working in this profession.

And I do agree- it cannot only come from the leadership. Nurses at every level must take responsibility for the actions at work. If nurses want a more enjoyable workplace, then each one of us has got to be a part of the solution.

[Tweet “Here Are 3 Tips Nurse Leaders Can Use to Retain Nursing Staff”]

  1. New Nursing Practice: Focus on StrengthsListen. The first step to take involves figuring out what the nursing staff wants. We need to ask and then, we need to listen. As a leader, we must hear what is being said and what is not. We need to feel the energy of a group, observe the interactions of a team, and be aware of what’s going on behind the scenes of a workplace. Just in asking, we receive. As was shown above, I ask nurses about their biggest challenge in their career when they sign up for my email newsletter. Then sometimes they write back and respond. We need to have the courage to ask our nursing staff what they want and need and be ready to listen.
  2. Learn. A really cool thing that happens when we take the time to pause and listen is that we learn. We learn a whole lot about the nurses we employ! And we can ask them things unrelated to work as well. A great way to be an effective nurse leader is to get to know your nursing team outside of the workplace. What are the nurses good at? Who has a really creative hobby? What family do they have in the community? To keep quality staff, you have to get to know them first.
  3. Leverage. Now here’s where it all comes together. You listen and learn about the nursing staff and now, as a nurse leader, you get to act. Once you know more about the strengths your nurses posses you can tap into them. A nurse really loves to write? Get him or her involved in an abstract writing or publication course. A nurse is very outgoing and articulate? Encourage them to present at a national or international conference. Utilize strengths to bring more value to your team. The nurse who is involved in projects, activities, and group work is one that is much more likely to stay.

What did we miss? I’d love to hear additional suggestions from you in the comments below on how we can help your nursing teams love the profession of nursing again. Thanks for reading!

Elizabeth Scala, MSN/MBA, RN; Founder of Nursing from WithinAbout the Author: As a keynote speaker, bestselling author and virtual conference host, Elizabeth partners with hospitals, organizations, associations, and nursing groups to help transform the field of nursing from the inside out. During the National Nurse’s Week online conference, ‘The Art of Nursing‘, Elizabeth supports nurses in achieving professional goals of continued learning and development. Click here to find out more about how The Art of Nursing appreciates and celebrates our profession in a meaningful way.

If you would like to share this article with your nursing colleagues, go ahead and download/print a copy by clicking here.

16 Comments

  1. maureenpowers

    Great article thanks for sharing. I think this article would help all managers not just nurses.
    Listening is such an important skill. I have learned to constantly improve the skills I have that I can share with others in a supportive manner.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      Wonderful point, Maureen. Feel free to share the article with the nurse managers (and nurses) that you know. And you’re accurate when you say that when we improve skills for ourselves, we can support others in application. Thank you!

      Reply
  2. exceptionalnurse

    So true Elizabeth….when we listen we learn. When we learn we can act.
    Food can be a great way to bring nurses together and spark conversations….”oh, this is your mother’s recipe….where does she live?” “Visit often?” “Can I have the recipe?”

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      That’s a great way to get connected, Donna. Thank you for that idea! Love it.

      Reply
  3. Pamela Goring

    I am a clinical supervisor for a hospice. So much of what brings my nurses and medical social workers down is the constraints put on their time with patients. I believe if they were salaried vs hourly I would get more work and more job satisfaction because they could then give the time and attention they long to give to their patients. More satisfaction for the team and more satisfaction for our patients, equals less turnover and a higher patient census. No one loses!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      Great points, Pamela. I was seeing/hearing the same thing, which is why I created the National Nurse’s Week program called The Art of Nursing. To help nurses connect with the patient, find the time to do this in creative ways, and offer best practices to balancing the art and science with our profession. https://elizabethscala.com/artofnursing2016.html

      Reply
  4. Marie Stallone

    I find the idea of Nurse leaders getting to know their staff refreshing. My manager has no idea who I am. We are evaluated on hearsay, and find that when we do speak about solutions to retain staff, such as increased staffing & incentive raises, the solution provided by management is to advertise for new experienced RNs by offering a sign-on bonus. This after we have been told that there is no money for raises etc.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      Marie, thank you for coming by and sharing your comment. I am glad that you find the idea refreshing, and am sorry to hear that your experience is less than ideal. Keep offering solutions. And if no one will listen to you, maybe a change is needed. Be sure to take care of yourself as you continue to empower your career. Thank you for coming by.

      Reply
  5. sunnysandra16

    Elizabeth,
    This is a great article. I love the 3 L’s you recommend. These are very key to anyone who is in a leadership position. Knowing the strengths of your staff or employees can be central to the success of the unit, hospital, or organization. It also makes the nurse or employee feel as if they are being listened to as well as seen. They also are more likely to be involved in improving the working environment and their patients experience.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      Thanks for the feedback, Cassandra. Appreciate your comments and glad you enjoyed the post!

      Reply
  6. bethboynton80539889

    Great scenarios from your audience and tips from you, Elizabeth. And lots of great comments! Listening is so vital and often missing where power struggles arise between leaders and staff. One addition I would make which is inherent in listening is to validate whenever you can. This simple step can change a dialogue that is stuck into a collaborative and co-creative conversation that leads to new ideas, (to your point about learning!)

    Instead of:
    Staff: “We need more staff”
    Leader: ” We don’t have the budget for more staff”

    Something like this:
    Staff:
    Staff: “We need more staff”
    Leader: “Sounds like you’d like to have more hands on deck. Tell me more about what kind of help you think we need on the unit.”

    In the second one there is all sorts of room for expressing needs and limits for both people and working together towards a solution. Whereas the first one, well we all know where that goes! 🙂

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      Oh, Beth. Great addition! I love the validation concept. Thank you for bringing that to the discussion! Always can count on you for more great resources. Thank you!

      Reply
  7. Anne Llewellyn

    Important tips for all to consider. I would also recommend implementing tips that come from the staff is also important. Many times the staff has good ideas on how to solve a problem/issue but are not asked for their opinion. This shows that you (leadership) value the ‘grassroots workforce’

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      Yes, Anne. That is what the ‘listen’ bullet describes. Asking staff for their thoughts and ideas. And you’re right, we need to take it a step further. Actually act on what they say. Thank you!

      Reply
  8. Jhanvi Solanki

    I really liked the simplicity of the concepts presented here, I am working on a leadership at the grassroots level approach with my staff and am amazed at the potential of each individual. I will be sure to include this article for orientation purposes for new and current leaders. Just wanted to share one success story… All of the above remarks from nurses were very much echoed on the new unit that I took over; although risky I knew this group needed change and a new approach… We started simple – listening and appreciating each other; we then started on the levers of patient centered care and now our patient experience committee is led by our staff with myself as a member for troubleshooting support. I love the new approaches and ideas that we uncover on a day to day basis!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      This is great to hear! I am super thrilled that you are doing this in your workplace, and seeing results. Thank you for reading and I appreciate you sharing this article with your orientation. Great job!!

      Reply

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