8. Recruiting, Selecting and Retaining Staff

Recruitment and retention in the workforce are important concepts for all employers. Within healthcare, we often consider these concepts under the umbrella of human health resource planning. As the name suggests, our colleagues in human resource departments are important partners for nursing leaders. Yet, as we proceed through the following module, nursing leaders will see their unique role in promoting human health resources, and how this relates to a moral obligation of ensuring high-quality staffing to meet patient needs.

Many of the factors that promote retention in the workplace relate to the work environment, including leadership, and these will be explored in this module. These similar factors can help with recruitment to the organization, and additional recruitment strategies (for example, incentives and interviewing) will be discussed.

Finally, there are some specific groups that nursing leaders should consider when exploring human health resources, including new graduate nurses, unregulated workers, and rural and remote workplaces. These are explored in terms of retention and recruitment, while some specific examples and strategies to support these groups are provided.