Published online November 1, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 Supplement November 2006, pp. S134-S140 (doi:10.1542/peds.2006-0913J)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Atwater, A.
Right arrow Articles by Plsek, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Atwater, A.
Right arrow Articles by Plsek, P.
Related Collections
Right arrow Premature & Newborn
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

ARTICLE


Evaluation and Development of Potentially Better Practices for Staffing in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Amy Atwater, RN, BSNa, Elaine Hartmann, RN, NNP, MSb, Betty Beverly Brown, RN, MSHAc, Pat Carteaux, RNd, Maria Freeman, RNd, Pat Hegwood, RN, BSN, MAb, Laura Michael, RNd, Joan Rikli, RN, MSN, CPNPa, Joel Secrest, MDd, Barbara Bauman, RNe and Paul Plsek, MSe

a Neonatal Center, DeVos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan
b Neonatal Intensive Care, Children's Hospital of Illinois at OSF St Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Illinois
c Neonatal Unit, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Jackson, Tennessee
d Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Parkview Hospital, Ft Wayne, Indiana
e Vermont Oxford Network, Burlington, Vermont

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.

Conclusion. The 5 practices described herein have the potential to decrease nursing turnover in NICUs.

Key Words: potentially better practices • orientation • recognition and rewards • work environment • collaboration • autonomy

Abbreviations: STARS—Staffing Turnover and Retention Strategies • PBP—potentially better practice

Accepted Jul 18, 2006.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?