Title : Building a culture of stay: Nurse-led strategies for workforce resilience and retention
Abstract:
Purpose: To reduce RN turnover by implementing council-driven initiatives that enhance job satisfaction, professional development, safety, and work-life balance, fostering engagement and retention across all nursing shifts.
Relevance/Significance: High RN turnover increases burnout, dissatisfaction, and patient safety risks. The Nurse Experience Council addresses these challenges by promoting communication, recognition, professional growth, wellness, and a supportive work environment, creating a sustainable model for improving retention and enhancing the nursing practice environment.
Methods/Strategy: The Nurse Experience Council engaged clinical nurses and leadership to identify drivers in nursing turnover. Interventions included RN-NP communication taskforce, Clinical Staffing Committee participation, competitive pay adjustments, certification and clinical ladder programs, night-shift nursing recognition, workflow improvements, mentorship support, professional development, safety initiatives, and wellness programs. Activities incorporated surveys, resource packets, council meetings, nursing cafes, and unit-level engagement to promote collaboration, satisfaction, and retention.
Evaluation/Outcomes: Council-led initiatives in collaboration with nursing leadership increased RN engagement, professional development, workflow satisfaction, and safety perception. Recognition, wellness, night-shift support, and improved communication were positively received. These efforts reduced RN turnover from 16.04% in 2022 to 11.27% in 2023, 11.12% in 2024, and 6.09% in 2025, thereby strengthening retention and workforce resilience.
Conclusion/Implications: Nursing leadership and council collaboration improved satisfaction, engagement, and retention. These structured, replicable interventions in recognition, professional growth, and teamwork offer a model to reduce turnover and build a resilient, skilled nursing workforce in acute care settings.
Session Description: Explore how the Nurse Experience Council participated in and implemented targeted, nurse-led initiatives to reduce RN turnover. Participants will learn strategies, including mentorship, workflow improvements, professional development, wellness programs, and recognition efforts that enhance engagement, satisfaction, and retention, offering a replicable model to strengthen nursing workforce stability and resilience.
