Medina Memorial Healthcare System Tackles Nurse Turnover

Since the implementation of TCAB at Medina Memorial Healthcare System, voluntary nurse turnover has improved markedly. Before TCAB, the average turnover rate was seven nurses per year. Over the course of 30 months of applying TCAB principles, only three nurses left, bringing the voluntary nurse turnover rate for 2011 down to 1.5 percent. The hospital attributes this difference to the collective involvement of frontline nurses in the improvement process and the effort by the nursing staff to engage newly hired nurses in TCAB. The chief nursing officer overseeing Medina’s TCAB unit believes the combination of practicing the TCAB fundamentals, aligning strategically, investing in the right people, taking advantage of quick wins, and obtaining the appropriate leadership support are all factors driving the hospital’s success. The TCAB team at Medina conducted a detailed analysis of approximate costs and savings of nurse turnover and found that on average, turning over a nurse costs $53,416 . Based on these calculations, they estimate that since adopting TCAB in March 2009, the hospital has saved more than half a million dollars in costs related to nurse turnover and recruitment.