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Aim This is a report on generation-specific incentives and disincentives selected by acute care nurses that promote and discourage them to remain employed in hospitals. Background Recent literature indicates that nurse preferences for strategies to promote their retention may differ across generational cohorts. However, current literature is primarily anecdotal with few studies focused on evidence-based generation-specific nurse retention-promoting strategies. Methods Data were gathered from a cross-sectional survey administered to a random sample of 9904 registered nurses working in Alberta and Ontario, Canada. Two survey items asking nurses to identify preferences for incentives to remain employed and disincentives that encourage them to leave employment were included. Survey items were based on information gathered from previous focus groups exploring determinants of nurse retention. Results There were statistically significant differences in the rates of selection across generations of nurses for eight of 10 incentives to remain employed and for eight of 15 disincentives. All generational cohorts selected the same two incentives most frequently: reasonable workloads and manageable nurse–patient ratios. Two of the three most frequently selected disincentives were the same across generations: inadequate staffing and unmanageable workloads. Implications for nursing management Leaders should implement and evaluate strategies that ensure workloads are reasonable and nurse–patient ratios are manageable to promote retention among all generations of nurses in the acute care hospital workforce.

tourangeau a., cranley l., laschinger h. & pachis j. (2010) Journal of Nursing Management 18, 1060–1072 Relationships among leadership practices, work environments, staff communication and outcomes in long-term care Aim To examine the role that work relationships have on two long-term care outcomes: job satisfaction and turnover intention. Background It is easy to overlook the impact that human relations have in shaping work environments that are conducive to organizational effectiveness. Employee job satisfaction and retention are important organizational outcomes. Methods Six hundred and seventy-five nursing and other staff from 26 long-term care facilities were surveyed about their work environments, work group relationships, observed leadership practices, organizational support, job satisfaction and turnover intention. Results Higher job satisfaction was associated with lower emotional exhaustion burnout, higher global empowerment, higher organizational support, higher psychological empowerment, stronger work group cohesion and higher personal accomplishment. Higher turnover intention was associated with lower job satisfaction, higher emotional exhaustion burnout, more outside job opportunities, weaker work group cohesion, lower personal accomplishment and higher depersonalization. Conclusions No relationship was found between leadership practices and job satisfaction or turnover intention. Stronger work group relationships, stronger sense of personal accomplishment and lower emotional exhaustion have direct effects on increasing job satisfaction and lowering turnover intention. Implications To retain long-term care staff, attention should be paid to fostering positive work group cohesion, supporting and acknowledging staff accomplishments and minimizing staff burnout.

Aim To explore generational differences in job satisfaction. Background Effective retention strategies are required to mitigate the international nursing shortage. Job satisfaction, a strong and consistent predictor of retention, may differ across generations. Understanding job satisfaction generational differences may lead to increasing clarity about generation-specific retention approaches. Method The Ontario Nurse Survey collected data from 6541 Registered Nurses. Participants were categorized as Baby Boomer, Generation X or Generation Y based on birth year. Multivariate analysis of variance explored generational differences for overall and specific satisfaction components. Results In overall job satisfaction and five specific satisfaction components, Baby Boomers were significantly more satisfied than Generations X and Y. Conclusion It is imperative to improve job satisfaction for younger generations of nurses. Implications for Nursing Management Strategies to improve job satisfaction for younger generations of nurses may include creating a shared governance framework where nurses are empowered to make decisions. Implementing shared governance, through nurse-led unit-based councils, may lead to greater job satisfaction, particularly for younger nurses. Opportunities to self schedule or job share may be other potential approaches to increase job satisfaction, especially for younger generations of nurses. Another potential strategy would be to aggressively provide and support education and career-development opportunities.

Background and Purpose. In this paper, we present a protocol for advanced psychometric assessments of surveys based on the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. We use the Alberta Context Tool (ACT) as an exemplar survey to which this protocol can be applied.Methods. Data mapping, acceptability, reliability, and validity are addressed. Acceptability is assessed with missing data frequencies and the time required to complete the survey. Reliability is assessed with internal consistency coefficients and information functions. A unitary approach to validity consisting of accumulating evidence based on instrument content, response processes, internal structure, and relations to other variables is taken. We also address assessing performance of survey data when aggregated to higher levels (e.g., nursing unit).Discussion. In this paper we present a protocol for advanced psychometric assessment of survey data using the Alberta Context Tool (ACT) as an exemplar survey; application of the protocol to the ACT survey is underway. Psychometric assessment of any survey is essential to obtaining reliable and valid research findings. This protocol can be adapted for use with any nursing survey.