Hospitals nationwide are struggling to retain newly licensed nurses amid increasing demand. Centralizing recruitment, onboarding and retention efforts can streamline hiring, reduce turnover and improve patient care. This approach addresses staffing gaps, enhances job satisfaction and ensures a stable nursing workforce.
FREMONT, CA: The nursing profession faces an ongoing challenge, particularly in retaining newly licensed nurses, but promising solutions are on the horizon. Hospitals nationwide struggle to fill vacancies, with an estimated one-third of nurses expected to leave by 2027. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for more than one million new nurses by 2028, underscoring the urgency for proactive strategies to strengthen the workforce.
One significant factor in nurse turnover is transitioning from education to practice, which can feel overwhelming for many new nurses. Long hours, high patient loads and emotional stress can starkly contrast their training experiences, leading to early career departures. However, by rethinking how nurses are onboarded and supported, hospitals can create an environment where new nurses thrive and stay long-term.
Centralizing nurse recruitment, onboarding and retention processes is a highly effective solution. By consolidating these functions, hospitals can create a streamlined, continuous pipeline for new nurses, ensuring that vacancies are filled proactively and efficiently. This model helps prevent staffing gaps and fosters a stable workforce, allowing hospitals to focus on patient care without the constant worry of turnover.
Centralized staffing moves recruitment and onboarding from the unit level to a dedicated, hospital-wide team. Led by a Chief Learning Officer (CLO), this team ensures that recruitment, training and retention efforts are aligned with the overall hospital strategy. By centralizing these functions, hospitals can avoid common challenges associated with unit-level staffing, such as miscommunication about resource needs and inconsistent pay rates. Additionally, this approach directly addresses concerns around new nurse burnout and job satisfaction, helping to reduce turnover and improve overall retention.
Though adopting a centralized model requires thoughtful preparation, the benefits are substantial. The first step is to assess the current state of nurse recruitment and onboarding processes. Key questions might include: how long does hiring and orienting new nurses take? How much time do nurse managers spend on onboarding? What impact does turnover have on patient outcomes? By answering these questions, hospitals can identify areas for improvement and better understand the cost and operational impact of turnover.
Gathering data on current turnover rates and associated costs is crucial for making a compelling case for a centralized approach. With each 1 percent decrease in nurse turnover estimated to save hospitals $262,500 annually, the financial benefits of centralizing the hiring and retention processes are transparent. Furthermore, reducing reliance on costly agency nurses can yield even more significant savings.
Beyond financial savings, a centralized model significantly improves the onboarding experience for new nurses. By using a comprehensive clinical infrastructure that includes nursing procedures, clinical decision support and professional development resources, hospitals can better equip new nurses with the tools they need to succeed. This infrastructure supports nurses in delivering high-quality care and ensures they have the ongoing support to thrive in their roles.
