Interventions to retain emergency department nurses: A scoping review

Globally, the nursing workforce is facing significant shortages, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency departments (ED) are dynamic environments that expose nurses to high levels of stress. Retention of existing nurses is vital, however the efficacy of interventions to improve the retention of ED nurses is limited. This review aimed to explore the evidence surrounding interventions focussed on addressing the retention of ED nurses.

A scoping review of the literature was undertaken, guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute framework. A search of five electronic databases was conducted. Original research published between 2012 and 2023 regarding the population of nurses, the concept of interventions to decrease turnover/improve retention and the context of the emergency department were considered for inclusion.

Five articles met the criteria for inclusion; three evaluated educational programs to ease the transition to becoming ED nurses, two assessed locally developed 'ad hoc' interventions. All the transitional education programs reported an increase in retention rates, while the ad hoc interventions produced minimal to no improvement in retention or reduction of turnover intent. All studies were conducted in high-income countries.

There is a dearth of evidence for organisations to draw upon to increase the retention of ED nurses. Additional research is warranted, especially regarding the long-term effects of interventions aimed at improving ED nurse retention, as well as evaluating interventions implemented in a wider variety of contexts.