Leveraging Laudio’s unique data set, the report provides first-of-its-kind data on the influence of leader-team member engagement on nurse retention – a pervasive and costly challenge for health systems nationwide. The analysis showed nurse managers who have consistent, purposeful interactions (e.g., check-ins, recognition) with their team members have statistically significant lower registered nurse (RN) turnover. In a team with average turnover, one purposeful interaction per month per RN drives a seven-percentage point improvement in the team’s overall annual RN turnover rate.
The report also evaluates key factors influencing a nurse manager’s capacity for meaningful team engagement, such as span of control, which ultimately hinder the health system’s financial outcomes. The analysis shows a median span of control of 46 people for inpatient nurse managers, with those in the top quartile overseeing 78 people or more. Across six major specialties, managers in the top quartile consistently have above-average RN turnover rates. Larger span of control is also associated with higher incremental and overall overtime use, furthering driving up labor costs.
“Nurse managers have one of the hardest jobs in health care. They have 24-hour responsibility caring for their nursing team and patients,” said Robyn Begley, CEO of AONL and chief nursing officer, SVP of workforce at the American Hospital Association. “Nurse leaders can use this data to make operational adjustments in real time to support these vital frontline leaders.”
The Laudio data set spans over 50 acute care hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory sites across the US. It includes over 8,000 managers and 100,000 employees at health systems.
“At a time when all health systems are looking to make evidence-based decisions to support their workforce, this report provides new data to inform their strategies around frontline team design, resourcing, and manager enablement,” said Tim Darling, President of Laudio Insights. “We are proud to collaborate with AONL on this work.”
The organizations will present the report findings on April 10, 2024 at AONL’s annual conference in New Orleans.
About Laudio
Laudio empowers healthcare leaders to drive large-scale change through everyday human actions. Our AI-enhanced platform streamlines workflows for frontline leaders, strengthens interpersonal connections, and aligns C-suite objectives with frontline efforts, boosting operational efficiency, employee engagement, and patient experience. Laudio makes it possible for patients, frontline workers, and health system leaders to thrive together. Discover how at laudio.com.
About AONL
As the national professional organization of more than 12,000 nurse leaders, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) is the voice of nursing leadership. Our membership encompasses nurse leaders working in hospitals, health systems, academia and other care settings across the care continuum. Since 1967, the organization has led the field of nursing leadership through professional development, advocacy and research that advances nursing leadership practice and patient care. AONL is an affiliate of the American Hospital Association. For more information, visit AONL.org.