The Nurse Leader’s Pivotal Role in Retaining Millennial Nurses

What's Next for Me? Developing an 18-Month Structured Pathway to Increase New Nurse Retention

Because of increasing RN turnover rates on a neuroscience unit in a large teaching hospital, unit nurse leaders created a staff retention quality improvement initiative. The initiative offered a structured pathway for professional development milestones in a nurse's 1st 18 months of employment. As a consequence of their work, the unit experienced an 82% decrease in the number of RNs who left their job on the unit in the 1st year of implementation.

The experience of good mentoring focused on overcoming turnover intention among millennial nurses

Introduction

Millennials are emerging as a prominent demographic in the nursing workforce. It is necessary to create an environment that harmonizes the advantages of each generation in a nursing workforce in which various generations coexist. As the importance of mentoring programs for millennial nurses grows, it is believed that the effectiveness of mentoring to support millennial nurses can be enhanced by identifying the attributes of good mentors as perceived by nurses. This study aimed to explore the attributes of good mentors according to millennial nurses in the nursing workforce with a focus on overcoming turnover intention problems.

Methods

Four focus group interviews were conducted to collect data, which were subsequently analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis method. A descriptive qualitative design involving 22 millennial nurses employed at a tertiary hospital, Hospital A, in Seoul, Republic of Korea was utilized.

Results and discussion

Four themes emerged from the analysis: the concept of a significant others, the presence of a driving force to endure, the importance of a guide to a harmonious life, and the value of a partner for growth. The participants themselves identified these themes. To prevent turnover intention among millennial nurses, mentors should employ diverse strategies, and institutional supports are crucial. Furthermore, since it is unrealistic to expect all ideal mentor characteristics to be present in one person, mentor development education is also necessary. This information is valuable for designing mentor development programs and for establishing a solid framework for effective mentoring programs.

Retention strategies and barriers for millennial nurses: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this scoping review were to explore the existing literature related to millennial nurse-retention strategies and barriers, to examine and conceptually map the evidence, to extract any differences between Generation Y and Generation Z nurses, and to identify any gaps in the literature.

INTRODUCTION

The millennial generation has become the largest group of nurses in the workforce. As nursing leaders grow to understand this generation's tendency to change employers frequently, organizations need to identify and implement strategies and reduce barriers to retain this generation as employees.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Studies and reports including registered nurses born between 1980 and 2000 with any level of education preparation and in any setting or geographical location were included. Studies and reports that examined nurse-retention barriers and strategies were considered for inclusion. This review considered experimental and quasi-experimental study designs, analytical observational studies, case-control studies, analytical cross-sectional studies, descriptive observational studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, qualitative studies, and text and opinion papers.

METHODS

The review was conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Studies and reports written in English after 2010 were included. The databases searched included MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Ovid HealthStar, and PsycINFO. The search for unpublished studies and reports included MedNar and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Eligible studies and reports underwent data extraction by two independent reviewers using a tool created by the authors. Along with a narrative summary, results are presented in a diagrammatic format that aligns with the review objectives and questions.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight publications were included in the review. Strategies for millennial nurse retention were provided in 21 publications, barriers were provided in two publications, and 15 publications provided both strategies and barriers. No publications provided information on the differences between Generation Y and Generation Z. The findings from this scoping review were grouped into five concepts, with strategies and barriers for millennial retention identified for each of the concepts. Concepts identified included leadership, work environment, professional growth, professional fatigue, and self-actualization.

CONCLUSIONS

The current evidence base shows that barriers to and strategies for millennial nurse retention commonly focus on the work environment and the relationships between nursing leadership and the bedside nurse. A preliminary scan of the evidence indicates that creating a healthy work environment that is collaborative, fair, flexible, challenging, and provides opportunities for growth may keep millennial nurses engaged. Having nursing leadership that models these values and leads by example may help millennial nurses to feel safe and supported; however, due to the methodology employed in this review, further rigorous research is needed to confirm this.