Retention of nursing staff -- a team-based approach.

This case study discusses a team-based approach to the retention of nursing staff. In 2001, Mercy Hospital for Women (Mercy) was part of a benchmarking study to try to understand more about its nursing workforce. The results indicated that 40% of nursing staff were at risk of leaving the Mercy and 41% of nursing staff at risk of leaving their profession. With a pending relocation of the hospital, increased agency costs, and a high number of nursing staff at risk of leaving, the hospital established a project to address this issue. A team of nurses worked together to improve the retention of staff and the culture of the organisation. The team spent time developing their own skills and competencies in teamwork, and understanding more about the workforce. A project plan was established, and over a period of eighteen months nurses reported an improvement in the culture of the organisation and a reduction in the risk of nurses leaving the Mercy. This is an example of what an empowered team can do. The fundamental drivers underpinning the process were effective teamwork combined with employee involvement and a shared vision. This project used the principles of the learning organisation -- a more recent aspiration of the Mercy.