Strategies to Retain Registered Nurses

Abstract

ResultsThis study indicates that nurses can recognize the physiological and behavioral cues of sepsis in normal and at risk neonates. Although there were some similarities in characteristics, there were limited differences between nurses with ADN and BSN degrees. Nurses with more than 11 years of experience who practiced in the NICU were able to identify more frequently behavioral cues associated with newborn sepsis than those who practiced in the mother baby unit (t ¼ 2.6, df ¼ 1, p ¼ .011). Conclusion/Implications for Nursing PracticeNeonatal sepsis is the leading cause of pediatric mortality worldwide, and 20% of related deaths are associated with late and improper treatment. Nurses have the ability recognize sepsis early using a combination of behavioral and physiologic cues observed in the neonate. Closing the knowledge gap related to years of experience and practice setting is crucial to early recognition of sepsis. Future researchers should examine whether these cues were present before sepsis diagnosis. This will allow for the implementation of a neonatal early warning system for sepsis. The use of a systematic surveillance tool will help to close the experience gap identified in this study. Strategies to Retain Registered NursesObjective T o examine the lived experience of choosing professional nursing as a career and to explore the effect of public perception of nursing on this choice in order to inform effective recruitment and retention strategies. DesignA feminist phenomenological approach was used. SettingLocations were chosen by each participant and ranged from their homes and coffee shops to a hospital lobby. SampleEight women and two men with experience as registered nurses that ranged from 11 months to two years. MethodsSemistructured tape recorded interviews were conducted in person with participants; Colaizzi's method of data analysis was used to analyze the data. ResultsFive themes emerged from the data: Up-close and personal/exposure and connection, The image of nursing, The conflict inherent in nursing, Recruitment, and Retention and the work environment. For these participants, the choice of nursing as a career bespoke a passion that had been affected but not yet eclipsed by conflict, compromised fulfillment, and the internalization of nursing and gendered stereotypes directly influenced by the image of nursing. Conclusion/Implications for Nursing PracticeRecommendations involved innovative proposals for the support and preservation of the passion that newer nurses demonstrate and health policy initiatives for programs that would expose the public to the value of a career in nursing and provide education about the significance and complexities of nursing practice.