Preventing nursing turnover in home care

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Employee turnover incurs significant costs for organizations.
• The ripple effect of turnover impacts agencies, patients, and staff.
• Home care settings present unique challenges in monitoring new nurse orientation and progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the causes of turnover among registered nurses (RNs) within the initial six months of employment.
• To understand the specific challenges contributing to early-career RN turnover in a home care agency.
• To share findings and insights from an agency's experience with RN turnover.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of an agency's experience with registered nurse turnover.
• Exploration of the factors influencing new nurse retention in a home care environment.
• Case study approach detailing the agency's journey and findings.

Main Results:

• The study identifies key factors contributing to registered nurse turnover in the first six months.
• Specific challenges within the home care setting that exacerbate turnover are highlighted.
• The agency's internal processes and their impact on new nurse retention are examined.

Conclusions:

• Addressing the root causes of early-career registered nurse turnover is crucial for home care agencies.
• Strategies to improve orientation and support systems can mitigate turnover.
• Understanding and responding to the unique demands of home care nursing is essential for retention.