Originally published by Healthleaders, this article is reposted here with full credit to the original source.
Introduction: New Research on Early-Tenure Nurse Retention
Turnover among nurses in their first 18 months is nearly double the overall nursing rate, making it more important than ever to invest in supporting this group. Yet delivering that support is becoming increasingly difficult, as nurse managers are more likely now to be new to their roles, have 24/7 responsibility, and lead very large teams. On this last point, according to the newest report from the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and Laudio, managers who oversee more than 90 nurses experience average turnover rates of 40%, compared to 27% for those managing only 30 nurses.
To help hospitals and health systems address these rising challenges, AONL and Laudio published their latest joint report last week, Early-Tenure Nurse Retention: Trends & Leader Strategies. The report combines takeaways from the Laudio Insights dataset - including over 5,000 nurse managers – with findings from interviews with nurse managers. Among the key takeaways were three priorities for improving early-tenure retention: a more integrated orientation; consistent and intentional check-ins; and personalized ongoing engagement and mentoring. All hinge on the ability to free up nurse manager capacity and empower them to prioritize these essential leader activities.
Orientation Sets the Tone for a Supportive Culture
As early-tenure nurses transition into practice, a well-structured and supportive orientation helps them build on their foundational training. Streamlining processes and implementing supportive technologies to alleviate nurse managers’ workload is crucial, as it empowers them to guide new nurses effectively through the complexities of this transition. Managers need sufficient support to carry out their daily responsibilities while also excelling in coaching, mentoring, providing emotional support, and navigating generational differences.
Organizations have begun utilizing more integrated orientation processes through nurse residency programs and fellowships. These models extend learning beyond technical competencies and incorporate aspects like socialization for a sense of belonging, mentorship for professional connection, and professional development for growth opportunities.
New Hire Check-Ins Matter – But They’re Not All Equal
New hire check-ins are a key component of early-tenure nurse retention and can be notably effective when nurse managers conduct them directly. The data shows that when nurse managers conduct check-ins at 30 to 45 days, first-year retention improves by 6 percentage points. This jumps to 10 percentage points when managers conduct check-ins at six to nine months. Nurse manager support and encouragement is particularly impactful around day 60 and at the 6-month mark, when employee engagement often starts to dip.
In contrast, data shows that when assistant managers perform the check-ins, it can lead to higher turnover. For example, when assistant managers lead the 30 or 45-day check-ins, retention rates drop by 6 percentage points, though results may differ when those in this role are integrated as full, trusted members of a cohesive leadership team.
Retention Takes a Village – and Personalized Engagement
Retaining early-tenure nurses can greatly depend on creating a healthy, physiologically safe work environment where they feel connected to their team, but building this kind of culture isn’t something nurse managers can shoulder alone. Organizations need to empower nurse managers to engage meaningfully with their teams, protecting time for foundational leadership practices like being visible, rounding on their teams, and providing impactful recognition. A key way to enable this is by using technology to streamline manual tasks and connect disparate data, freeing up manager time for more personalized staff support.
Success Story Spotlight: Nebraska Medicine
Nebraska Medicine is a great example of a health system that has successfully increased employee engagement and retention by empowering managers with leader-focused technology. Leveraging Laudio’s AI-enhanced leader operations platform, which centralizes and streamlines leader workflows and surfaces timely, high impact team engagement opportunities, Nebraska Medicine reduced early-tenure nurse turnover by almost 50%.
For more insights on early-tenure nurse retention and practical strategies to support your organization, access the new report here[1] .