![]() In this article, we attempt to discern the costs and benefits of nurse turnover and nurse retention in an effort to lay the foundation for estimating the economic value of nursing (i.e., that relationship between the costs of RNs relative to the quality gains derived from their employment). However, until the missing pieces of the turnover-retention relationship can be quantified, we lack the evidence upon which policy makers and administrators can construct well-informed decisions and strategies. There are widely held beliefs that the costs of nurse turnover far outweigh its benefits, and that the benefits of nurse retention far exceed its costs. ![]() we know very little about the actual costs of nurse retention or the economic benefits of nurse retention and turnover.we know very little about the actual costs of nurse retention or the economic benefits of nurse retention and turnover. There is fairly substantial evidence to support the position that nurse turnover is costly ( Advisory Board, 1999 Jones, 2005 OBrien-Pallas et al., 2006 Waldman, Kelly, Sanjeev, & Smith, 2004). These concerns currently are being voiced by a wide array of individuals, from bedside nurses to nurse managers and executives, and from hospital executives to health care economists. On the economic side, there are concerns about the costs of turnover, the loss of nursing human capital, and the potential effects on quality of care. ![]() On the non-economic side, there are concerns about the practicalities: retaining adequate numbers of RNs to appropriately provide safe care to patients over-burdening existing staff with increased workloads and demands that may bring about more staff turnovers and recruiting and attracting quality RNs to fill vacancies. These concerns originate from both non-economic and economic sources. Key words: benefits business case, costs, nurse turnover, nurse retentionĬoncerns about registered nurse (RN) turnover become heightened during times of nurse shortages. His current work examines nurse labor market behaviors, migration, and employment trends. He is particularly interested in the link between the health care workforce and outcomes of care, as well as making technology work effectively and efficiently in research and clinical arenas. His research interests include diversity, technology, and the nursing workforce. His teaching responsibilities include serving as lead faculty for the following courses: Healthcare Finance, Health Information Management, Health Policy and Contemporary Health Issues, and Medical-Surgical Nursing. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of San Diego. in applied mathematics/economics from Brown University. He began his nursing career at the University of Tennessee in Memphis after two years as a research assistant with the health policy group at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. Jones has taught health economics, policy, administration and management at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and she is a co-author with Steven Finkler and Christine Kovner of the recently published 3 rd edition of Financial Management for Nurse Managers and Executives.Įmail: Gates has a doctorate in nursing from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Jones also serves on national research review and expert panels, and has consulted with health care organizations, professional groups, and the federal government on matters related to health care delivery and the health care workforce. This work is cited frequently and has caught the attention of the media, practicing nurses, health care administrators, interdisciplinary researchers, and policymakers. One of her important contributions has been the development, testing, and refinement of a model to measure nursing turnover costs. Cheryl has devoted her career to understanding nursing workforce issues so as to improve the nursing work environment, nurse executive practice, and the cost and quality of care. Email: Bland Jones is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, and an Investigator at the Southeast Regional Health Workforce Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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