Why They Stay and Why They Leave: Stay Interviews With Registered Nurses to Hear What Matters the Most

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Registered nurse (RN) retention is a significant challenge in healthcare.
• The national RN turnover rate reached 27% in 2021, indicating a critical issue.
• Effective retention strategies are essential for maintaining a stable nursing workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore factors influencing registered nurse (RN) retention within a specific healthcare organization.
• To utilize the 'stay interview' methodology to gather insights from nurses.
• To inform the development of targeted strategies to improve RN retention.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a toolkit to guide nursing leaders.
• Conducted 75 "stay interviews" with nurses.
• Focused on nurses in cardiothoracic telemetry and cardiothoracic surgical intensive care units.

Main Results:

• Nurses identified unit culture, team/peer relationships, and scheduling as key factors for staying.
• Salary, professional growth/development, and travel opportunities were cited as reasons for considering leaving.
• The stay interview process provided valuable data on nurse motivations.

Conclusions:

• Stay interviews are an effective tool for understanding nurse retention factors.
• Healthcare organizations must address both intrinsic (culture, team) and extrinsic (salary, growth) factors to improve retention.
• Targeted retention strategies informed by stay interviews can help mitigate nurse turnover.