Issue of Emergency Nurse Retention:

Abstract

BackgroundThe critical clinical issue arising from the emergency department is the increase in nursing vacancy rate. The issue is multifaceted, why nurses may lack the capability for an extensive career in emergency. A topic requiring urgent attention, as the specialty is at a crossroads with an evolution of increased volume of presentations, and amplified burden of disease.The problem selection has a specific goal in mind to shift current practice and to learn more about the role of the leader in relation to the issue.
 MethodsThis narrative review involved an electronic search of databases including PubMed, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Google Scholar. Peer reviewed journals were accessed with the inclusion criteria: English language, full text, and published dates between 2008 and current. Search terms included “emergency nurse”, “leadership”, “emergency nurse retention”, “emergency new graduate nurses” “systematic review for emergency nurse retention”.
 ResultsCurrent literature on the topic addresses the issue why emergency departments are continually having their nursing human resources depleted at a steady rate. One of the key factors that influence this is work environment (high levels of occupational stress, frustrations and horizontal violence causing toxic, high pressure environments). Coupled with understaffing, poor nurse to patient ratios, low nurse morale can cause a vicious cycle of decreased staff satisfaction.
 DiscussionStrategies to mitigate emergency nurse attrition rates require strong management and leadership. While investigating the relationship between authentic leadership and the nursing profession, the focus is on honesty, integrity, high ethical standards and positive role modelling. Visible leadership and educational initiatives upon recruitment are among these strategies which support retention and development of emergency room nurses. Further implications to the nursing profession if this issue continues unresolved, are emergency departments worldwide continuing to endure operations at an unsafe deficit of competent nursing staff.