Congress Abstracts 2006

64

RETAINING NEW ONCOLOGY NURSES: OUTCOMES OF A UNIT-BASED SUPPORT GROUP. Patti Murray, RN, BSN, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, Rochester, NY; and Melissa Nash, RN, BSN, OCN^®, and Shannon Phillips, MS, RN, AOCNS, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and other national organizations predict that the current nursing shortage will intensify over the next 10-15 years, which has serious implications for the quality of care delivered to cancer patients. The impending increase in the nursing shortage makes the retention of current oncology nurses an essential goal for nursing leaders and administrators.

The purpose of this project is to evaluate a support group designed to increase retention and satisfaction of nurses hired to an inpatient adult medical oncology unit in a large academic medical center in Western New York/Finger Lakes Region.

A support group for all new hires is held every 6-8 weeks for 1 hour. Staff remain in the group for 18 months. The group sessions are lead by the unit nurse manager, and are scheduled at a time that maximizes participation. The group discusses issues or concerns they encounter during the orientation process, as well as specific educational topics based on unit population. These conversations are confidential and staff are encouraged to speak honestly about their perceptions. The group's recommendations for improvement are considered by unit and service leadership.

Since the implementation of the support group in 1998, unit attrition has decreased 63%. Many of the support group ideas and suggestions have been implemented, including an annual memorial service, a mentoring program, and an oncology-specific orientation day. The hospital Department of Nursing has adopted the support group concept for all new hires. Comments and evaluation of the support group by recent participants suggest the groups are contributing to the improved retention figures seen.

Retaining oncology nurses has wide implications for both quality patient care and cost reduction. On average, orienting a nurse to an inpatient unit costs approximately $46,000, so retaining nurses once they are fully competent is a tremendous cost-savings to the institution. Providing new nurses with a confidential outlet for questions and concerns during orientation is a simple and effective way to decrease attrition.