Home healthcare nurse recruitment and retention: tips for retaining nurses: one state's experience

During March 2006, a series of statewide conferences was held to discuss home care outcomes, with a special emphasis on strategies for retaining home care nurses. Administrators and owners of home care agencies in one state with high staff retention and a low rate of turnover participated in four panel discussions to share best practices. The discussions were sponsored by TMF Health Quality Institute, the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO). In addition to practitioner panels, a review of the home care research literature on recruitment and retention was presented. This article is derived from the combined evidence shared during those meetings. The three most common strategies for retaining nursing staff were the use of case management or primary nursing, management participation in direct patient care, and open lines of communication.