AskAdvisory: How can I reduce turnover?

Have a question but aren't sure how to find the answer? AskAdvisory can help. Our library of resources covers a wide variety of topics, including turnover and retention.

Turnover and retention

According to Advisory Board's 2021 hospital turnover and vacancy benchmarks, turnover among health care workers has reached new highs in recent years:

• Median turnover among full-time and part-time staff (excluding PRN, per diem, and casual staff) increased to 18.8% in 2021, up from 15.5% in 2020 and the highest figure Advisory Board has recorded in 15 years.

• Median turnover for bedside RNs has also doubled over the past decade, going from 8.7% in 2010 to 18.8% in 2021.

In addition, a survey from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses found that 67% of RNs said they planned to leave their current position within the next three years, compared to 54% in 2018. Of this group, 36% said they planned to leave within the next year, with 20% planning to leave within the next six months.

To help your health care organization reduce turnover and better retain your workers, Advisory Board offers several resources, including:

• To retain staff, organizations need to invest in well-being beyond the workplace: This blog provides different ways to help your staff recover while they are away from work, improving their overall well-being and satisfaction.

• 6 ways to keep your top talent amid the 'Great Resignation':  Record numbers of Americans across several different industries have quit their job as part of the "Great Resignation." This Daily Briefing article, which includes Advisory Board's own take, offers several strategies to help employers combat turnover and retain their employees.

• Why nurses quit (and how to persuade them to stay): In this Daily Briefing article, we highlight the top challenges facing the nursing workforce, how nurses feel about the Covid-19 response, and what your organization can do to retain your nurses.

There are also different resources to help your organization keep track of and predict turnover more readily going forward:

• How Aurora uses a homegrown analytics tool to predict employee turnover: This case study profiles how Aurora Health Care invested in a data and analytics team to take a more proactive approach to managing employee retention.

• 2021 Advisory Board hospital turnover and vacancy benchmarks: This slide deck includes national benchmarks on hospital turnover, vacancy, and premium labor rates based on data from 225 hospitals across 58 health systems.