Nurse Retentionists Help with Culture, Contribute to Lower RN Turnover

• Some hospital systems have hired nurse retentionists to help new grad nurses and nurse leaders find their way in a stressful and sometimes thankless career. 
• Nurse retentionist roles are designed to meet nurses where they are and address concerns before staff reach the point of leaving for another job or another profession. 
• Essentia Health and Culver City Hospital are among the systems that have seen positive results from implementing the role. 

A “nurse for nurses” approach has helped young nurses thrive and been a factor in one health system slashing its RN turnover rate by more than 50%. 

“If you don’t have an environment supportive of each other as caring colleagues, how can you provide exceptional care to the patients we are privileged to serve?” Jane Vortherms, an oncology nurse and nurse retentionist at Essentia Health, stated in a news release.

Essentia Health, an integrated health system that operates in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, added its two nurse retentionist roles in November 2022. The health system has a first-year RN turnover rate of 12.6%, compared to the 2024 NSI National Benchmark of 18.4%. However, Kelli Dietrich, the other nurse retentionist, said the retention and turnover success is “not directly correlated” to her role. Transition coaches, a residency program, and Essentia’s culture also played a role. 

So, What is a Nurse Retentionist? 

Emory Health developed the concept of a nurse retentionist, who served as a “corporate director of nurse retention and career development, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and hired a “doctorally prepared” RN for the role. 

As detailed in a 2021 Nurse Leader article, the retentionist worked with human resources, leadership, and Emory’s academic partner to develop five strategies to help nurses: planned individual meetings; intentional relationship building; revised clinical ladder, to include a peer mentor program expansion; system-wide retention committee; and focused recognition efforts. 

The role allowed the health system “to focus retention efforts in a meaningful, measurable manner that positively advances the professional practice environment,” according to the authors. 

“Implementation of a nurse retentionist role positively impacts a complex health system, alleviating fragmentation, and reducing burden on frontline nurse leaders to be retention experts,” the authors stated. “With a central point of contact, retention efforts are focused, tracked, and reported to measure return on investment.” 

How Nurse Retentionists Have Helped 

Nurse retentionists themselves don’t take full credit for the change in Essentia’s retention and turnover rates, but one recent grad, who initially worked in the intermediate care unit, said the role is “essential to the success of all nurses.” 

“As a new nurse, it’s easy to let challenges consume you whole,” Paige Crompton, RN, said in the Essentia release. “Kelli was able to help me navigate them gracefully. I learned it’s OK to speak up for yourself, and that there is a nursing role out there for you.”  

Crompton now works in family medicine within the same health system. 

Essentia’s nurse retentionists also have provided support to nurse leaders, helping them understand employee surveys and improve employee engagement, the release stated. 

Culver City (CA) Hospital hired its own nurse retentionist shortly before Essentia. Dr. Laura Briceno, DNP, RN, began her role (officially titled director of retention and career development) in December 2021. Her approach is focused on active-listening and conducting “stay interviews” with nurses. 

“I ask them about where they see themselves in the future as it relates to their career, what’s most important to them, what are frustrations that they can’t live with, and any professional goals or life events,” she stated in a news release.

The Bottom Line

Nurse retentionist roles are designed to meet nurses where they are and address concerns before staff reach the point of leaving for another job or another profession. Hospital systems that have implemented nurse retentionists have seen positive results in retention and turnover, though some attribute the success to myriad factors rather than one position alone. 

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