Evaluation and development of potentially better practices for staffing in neonatal intensive care units.
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.
Atwater
Amy
A
Neonatal Center, DeVos Children's Hospital, Neonatal Services-3 West, 100 Michigan Ave, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA. amy.atwater@spectrum-health.org
Hartmann
Elaine
E
Brown
Betty Beverly
BB
Carteaux
Pat
P
Freeman
Maria
M
Hegwood
Pat
P
Michael
Laura
L
Rikli
Joan
J
Secrest
Joel
J
Bauman
Barbara
B
Plsek
Paul
P
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