The Effect of a Nursing Labor Management Partnership on Nurse Turnover and Satisfaction

OBJECTIVE: The effects of a nursing labor management partnership (NLMP) on nurse turnover and nurse satisfaction were examined. BACKGROUND: Job satisfaction and retention are among the factors related to the nursing shortage. The NLMP was a specific intervention where nursing leaders, both nonbargaining and bargaining, worked collaboratively to improve patient care and outcomes. METHODS: The study was conducted in a large, Magnet-designated urban academic medical center in the Northeastern United States. The hospital has more than 1,000 inpatient beds and more than 2,200 registered nurses, 2,107 of whom are members of a nursing union. Nurse turnover and satisfaction were studied before (2005) and after (2008) the implementation of the NLMP model. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in nurse turnover and a significant increase in nurse satisfaction (from moderate to high) post-NLMP. CONCLUSIONS: This study establishes a basis for further nursing research on the implementation of an NLMP in union environments.