Shared governance: The way to staff satisfaction and retention.

Abstract

14 November 2016 • Nursing Management www.nursingmanagement.com R etaining qualified nurses and reducing turnover are costly and chronic hurdles that many hospitals face. The need for organizations to retain their most talented and specialized nursing staff members continues to remain an organizational priority across the country. Hospitals are focusing efforts on increasing staff satisfaction and retention through the promotion of a healthy work environment, professional development, and meaningful recognition. Hospitals that have successfully achieved Magnet® recognition are known for fostering positive work environments for the nurses they employ. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., a focused partnership developed through our well-established shared governance structure has become a conduit to explore new opportunities to impact retention. Within the shared governance structure, the recognition and retention (R&R) committee has historically had the primary responsibility of celebrating and recognizing nurses at departmental events. However, the committee sought to take an expanded role in addressing the issues surrounding turnover and recognition using an evidence-based approach guided by the department’s National Database for Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI®) survey data and current literature.