A staff report
Home to the NFC champion Bears football team, Chicago is on a sure-fire winning streak these days. Fantastic sports teams, excellent music, and world-renowned pizza are all things synonymous with this great city, and this May, Nursing Management's 5th Annual Recruitment & Retention Conference will join this illustrious list. Held at the Hilton Chicago May 4 to 6, the conference offers sessions, exhibits, and presentations designed to inspire, facilitate, and energize your recruitment and retention practices.
Due to the considerable amount of sessions attendees have to choose from, we decided that one article couldn't properly sum up the amount of noteworthy activities available at this year's conference. Comprising the second part of a three-part series, this month's installment delves deeper into the conference by highlighting two sessions guaranteed to spark discussion and add to your knowledge base.
Promote retention
According to Dennis R. Sherrod, RN, EdD, conference chairperson, workplaces must address issues of succession planning, ergonomics, technology, workplace redesign, flexible work arrangements, and innovative roles to encourage mature nurses to remain in the nurse workforce. During his session "Staying & Graying," he plans on addressing all of these issues and more-before it's too late.
"Within the next 10 years, an extraordinary number of nurses will be considering retirement," Sherrod explains. "The intellectual capital of mature nurses is one of healthcare's most chiefly valued resources. Employers must begin now to implement strategies that encourage mature nurses to delay retirement."
A key way to retain staff members is to keep them happy and satisfied with their position within their unit. Golden Bethune, executive vice president and administrator, Riverside Regional Medical Center, Newport News, Va., believes that closed staffing is a central facet in accomplishing this goal. Her session, titled "Eliminate Floating on Your Units," will revolve around how one hospital has maintained a "no pulling" environment for more than 6 years.
"For a longtime now, hospitals have floated staff to cover vacancies due to sick calls or other absences," says Bethune. "Nurses hate to be floated to areas that they aren't used to working. Stop pulling, and results for absentee rates and retention improve. You can do it. We did, and the results are outstanding."
Register today
Register for Nursing Management's Recruitment & Retention Conference at 1-800-346-7844, ext. 6591 or 7750, or fax 1-856-218-0557. For more information or to register online, visit http://www.promos-lww.com/r&r.html. To reserve a room at the Hilton Chicago, call 1-877-865-5320.