Nurse turnover assessments inconsistent

(HealthDay)—More than 17 percent of new nurses leave their first job within one year of starting, according to research published online Aug. 25 in Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice.

Christine T. Kovner, Ph.D., R.N., from the College of Nursing at New York University in New York City, and colleagues collected data from new nurses as part of the 10-year RN Work Project.

The researchers note that inconsistent definitions of turnover affect calculation of exact rates. Inconsistencies include any nurse leaving an organization, as well as voluntary versus involuntary leaves. In this survey of new nurses, not from a specific organization, the researchers found that 17.5 percent of new nurses leave their first job within one year of starting.

"Consistent and accurate measurement of turnover is an important step in addressing organizational work environments and policies about the nursing workforce," conclude the authors.