title: Evaluation and development of potentially better practices for staffing in neonatal intensive care units.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Five NICUs that participate in the Vermont Oxford Network's Neonatal Intensive Care Quality Improvement Collaborative 2002 attempted to identify potentially better practices that would have a directly impact on nurse recruitment and retention. The group identified nurse recruitment and retention as an important initiative for many hospitals that face a nursing shortage.
  
  
  METHODS
  The group analyzed information from hospital demographics, literature reviews, process analysis questionnaires, and site visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The literature review, process analysis questionnaire, and benchmarking with magnet hospitals identified 5 drivers for retention and recruitment. The drivers evolved into 5 potentially better practices that cover orientation, recognition and rewards, work environment, nurse/physician collaboration, and nursing autonomy. The magnet hospitals, which are known to have the highest retention rate and the lowest turnover rate, have many of these potentially better practices in place.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 5 practices described herein have the potential to decrease nursing turnover in NICUs.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Center, DeVos Children's Hospital, Neonatal Services-3 West, 100 Michigan Ave, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA. amy.atwater@spectrum-health.org
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atwater
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Betty Beverly
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Pat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carteaux
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Pat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hegwood
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rikli
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Secrest
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plsek
mesh_terms: D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017283:Neonatal Nursing; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace