The Role of On-Site Counseling in Nurse Retention

The current worldwide nursing shortage has intensified competition for nurses as the traditional sources of nurses are depleted. Nursing schools, hampered by faculty shortages, are mobilizing to teach larger groups of students, but graduates are years away. Foreign markets have diminished because of increasing worldwide demand and government protection of resources. A majority of current nurses are approaching retirement age. As they leave, their precious knowledge and experience leave with them. Attractive alternate employment opportunities such as computer technology, home-based offices, and others lure away the next generation of potential nurses who prize home and leisure over career. To meet patient care needs, nursing administrators must shift their primary focus from recruiting from a diminishing supply of nurses to retaining the quality nurses already in their organizations.