Are There Benefits to Teaching Newly Hired Nurses Self-Care Techniques in a Mandatory Workshop Format

Abstract

Session presented on: Tuesday, July 23, 2013: Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to share with conference attendees the innovative and holistic research study that explored whether workshops designed to convey caring and to teach nurses self care behaviors can improve retention of nurses during their first year of employment. The background for this study was that the literature review confirmed nursing retention as a national challenge. The nursing shortage coupled with financial challenges provided a platform for creative nursing retention interventions. During the rolling calendar year ending in June 2009, 41 RNs left our Medical Center for a variety of reasons, at an estimated cost greater than $180,000.00. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study using a specifically developed workshop that was designed to teach newly hired nurses self-care techniques as the intervention. Workshop topics included: 1) Importance of Self Care and Needs Identification, 2) Improving Coping Skills, 3) Learning to Work within a Team Enviroment, 4) Looking to Your Future. Results: It was anticipated that participants would complete questionnaires at four intervals. While the nurses were not compliant with completing follow up questionairres at those intervals, a revised follow up questionaire is being requested at this time and results from that will be reported. The data that the nurses reported were highly supportive to continue these workshops which are now in the second year. When this cohort of nurses who attended the workshops was compared with retention data from previous years, retention was improved. Conclusions: These workshops were appreciated by the newly hired nurses. Several interesting factors were identified including the challenges that seasoned nurses experience when newly hired. The time frame of the workshop was changed for scheduling and now continues going into the third year. Retention continues to be strong.