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Quick Nurse Retention Ideas!
In my position as Nurse Retention Coordinator, I am always on the lookout for innovative ideas I can adapt as a retention strategy. I then share these ideas with our Nurse Managers.
Employee of the Month contests tend to become popularity events; try this instead: At monthly staff meetings, draw one name out of the hat and that person becomes Employee of the Month for that month. This gives everyone an opportunity to be recognized!
Encourage your staff to write down their KUDOS about that person. Who is your creative staff member who just loves crafts, design or scrapbooking? Ask that person to compile the peer comments in any way they think is appropirate: typed on a sheet, a collage, a scrapbook page, a certificate. Be creative (or allow them to be!). No one can win twice until all staff have had one opportunity to shine!
Kick It Up A Notch: Give your creative staff a bulletin board in your unit, but not in the staff lounge. You want patients and visitors to see it too. Encourage your creative person(s) to design the board each month highlighting the Employee of the Month. This is an awesome way to provide peer recognition!
One of my staff nurses also earned a degree in Recreation Therapy - she LOVES taking time each month to design a THEME board. If you have to pay an hour or so of OT, is the recognition factor worth it?
