IMPROVING NURSE RETENTION THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE ONCOLOGY ORIENTATION PROGRAM.

CONTINUING education; JOB satisfaction of nurses; WORK orientations; EMPLOYEE retention; ONCOLOGY

The RN vacancy rate will be 20% with an estimated shortage of one million nurses by the year 2020. Nurse turnover is a costly problem that will continue as healthcare faces this shortage. These costs are both financial and patient centered. The cost of replacing a nurse is 1.5-2.5 times the nurse's annual salary putting financial strain on institutions. Group cohesion and satisfaction with work, including feeling confident with skills are the greatest predictors of a nurse's intent to stay in their institution. A program focused on development of critical thinking skills, patient care management and enhancement of self confidence will positively affect nurse retention rates and patient outcomes. The Fundamentals of Oncology Nursing (FON) program is a comprehensive 16 week program addressing psychosocial issues, critical thinking, and skill acquisition. Each class includes a discussion addressing the psychosocial issues faced by nurses, as well as instructor led modules. Lab time is included in some modules. Classes are held on a continuous rotating basis. Continuing education credits (CEUs) are awarded for each module. After completing the program, enough CEUs will have been obtained to qualify for the OCN exam. An evaluation is done at the completion of the program. Evaluations rate areas of logistics, critical thinking skills/patient care management, self confidence and retention. All areas were rated on a Likert scale of 1-5. Scores ranged from 3.2 - 3.8 with an average of 3.7. The yearly goal for nurse turnover is 9 or below. Prior to implementing the FON program, the turnover rate was 10. Since beginning the program the turnover rate is 4. These numbers do not clearly identify if someone leaving did or did not go through the program. This could affect the accuracy of the numbers. Nurses were able to identify that having this program helped in their decision to stay. Further study should be done to find any correlation between the program and improved patient outcomes. The Fundamentals of Oncology Nursing program addresses the development of critical thinking skills, patient care management and improvement of self confidence and affects job satisfaction and retention of nurses in our institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]