Paper
Saturday, July 24, 2004
Connectedness as a Motivator for Nurse Retention at the Bedside
Suzanne C. Luongo, BSN, RNC, MS1, Janice S. Hayes, RN, PhD2, and Rose O. Sherman, EdD2. (1) Organizational Development, Memorial Healthcare System, Hollywood, FL, USA, (2) Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA
| Learning Objective #1: State the importance of connectedness to nurses at the bedside |
| Learning Objective #2: Identify management behaviors perceived by bedside nurses as important to retention |
The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of staff nurses who have been at the bedside for a minimum of 5 years and have received evaluations that meet or exceed standards. These staff nurses participated in one of two focus groups(n=13) to discuss what keeps them at the bedside. The focus group interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was used to identify themes and develop a description of factors that contribute to nurse retention at the bedside. The analysis identified a meta theme of Connectness. This was divided into three subthemes: connectedness to patients and families, connectness to peers, and connectedness to administration of the institution. This connectedness was described as "being there in the present." Floating was seen as a disruption to connectedness. The essence of nursing was the relationships with the patients, and the nurses craved those relationships. The connectedness to peers and administration were seen as supportive to the work of nursing. This study has implications for institutions in implementing retention strategies for experienced bedside nurses.
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Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004