Advanced nursing apprenticeship program: a strategy for retention of experienced critical care nurses

Most hospitals are frantically planning recruitment strategies to attract new nurses for intensive care units. The direct cost associated with orientation of one of these nurses is estimated at greater than $2000, plus 6 months' to 1 year's salary per nurse. An interim strategy of using registered nurses to fill a full-time position for 1 year can cost upwards of $75,000 a year. Germane to the acclimatization of these nurses to the intensive care unit is the nurturing role of experienced nurses during the orientation and in assuring continuity of high-quality patient care. By virtue of their position, experienced nurses also model leadership behavior, and they are exposed to many day-to-day stresses that may leave them frustrated and feeling a lack of accomplishment. These factors, coupled with the scarcity of educational opportunities designed specifically for experienced nurses and a perceived absence of challenges, can lead to burnout. In this article I will describe an innovation in practice that uses the clinical nurse specialist role to stimulate and challenge experienced nurses. The program taught, supported, and nurtured unit-based change initiated by experienced nurses.