Improving Nursing Retention Through Mentorship in a Long-Term Care Facility: An Educational Toolkit

A major nursing shortage in the healthcare industry is made worse by high turnover rates. Healthcare organizations have used mentoring programs that have been found to enhance job satisfaction, thus improving nurse retention. To address this challenge, this study examined the use of a mentorship program supplemented by an educational toolkit that is specially made to improve nurse retention in long-term care facilities. By offering an organized learning path with resources that address support, effective communication, and cultural competency, the educational toolkit has the potential to enhance mentorship. The objective of this initiative was to equip registered nurses with the resources to mentor licensed vocational nurses with the essential knowledge and support to excel in their positions. Creation of an educational toolkit with various resources such as mnemonics and evidence-based research for mentors to use during the mentorship program. There was also an anonymous box for mentees to utilize for suggestions or concerns. Data was collected during pre- and post-intervention for comparison. This evidence-based project resulted in no change in the attrition of nurse retention in the facility. Timing may be a factor of the results and being unaware of things that were happening in the facility. There was a slight increase with job satisfaction noted in the post-tests. The implications for healthcare organizations are to create and develop a highly skilled, resilient, and contented nursing workforce by addressing the many challenges that nurses face with a mentoring and educational approach.