Why Do Nurses Leave and What Can Health Oganizations Do to Retain Them?

The American society is a very “mobile” society. It is estimated that Americans move (i.e., relocate to a different city, state, or country) on average every five years—more often than any other culture except nomadic tribes (Lewis 2003). Frequent mobility of individuals can have a direct impact on employers even though employee mobility may be due solely to personal factors. If the rate of employee mobility is repeatedly more prevalent in some industries than in others, then the organizations within those industries may be viewed negatively by potential as well as current employees. Therefore, it is imperative for healthcare organizations to do their best to retain their employees, particularly health professionals who are perhaps the backbone of any healthcare institution. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry has been struggling to retain its quality health professionals because of the current economic conditions of the United States. The void created by the mobility of health professionals, such as a nursing shortage, may have a devastating long-term effect on the organization affected directly by it, as well as contributing to an overall negative impact on the healthcare industry. For this reason, I want to identify the various reasons why nurses move and then identify some strategies to retain these valued and highly desired professionals.