Nursing turnover in a psychiatric hospital

Demands for quality nursing care in both psychiatric and general hospitals are increasing as the nation experiences a shortage of registered nurses (RNs). The average national turnover rate in the healthcare industry is almost 23%, and nurses account for 50% of that percentage (1). Because a stable, competent nursing staff is essential to meet the mandates of physicians and patients for quality inpatient care, the failure of a hospital to provide high-quality nursing in today's competitive healthcare climate may cause physicians and patients to go elsewhere. The nursing shortage and high nursing turnover rates have had a negative effect on both general and psychiatric hospitals. The focus of the study described in this article was on a specific psychiatric hospital, and the objective was to determine how hospital management might respond to the current nursing personnel challenges. An action research model was used to determine what employment factors were viewed by nursing personnel as most valuable and how satisfied the nurses were with these factors in their workplace. The results are reviewed.