Nursing

Original Article

The Use of an Advanced Medical-Surgical Course for the Retention and Professional Development of Medical-Surgical Nurses in an Acute Care Hospital

Marie-Claude Gutekunst, MSN, RN, PCCN; Jeanine DeLucca, MSN, RN, BC; Beth A. Kessler, BSN, RN, BC

Abstract

The retention and professional development of the medical-surgical nurse is a challenging endeavor. Voluntary nurse turnover affects the collective costs of direct and indirect recruiting, productivity and training, and termination. These costs are estimated to be 0.75 to 1.30 times a nurse’s average departing salary. The multifactorial dimensions of nursing retention remain a challenge for leaders at the organizational level. This article describes an educational strategy in the form of an advanced medical-surgical course used by a multicampus academic community Magnet® hospital to increase the retention and professional development of medical-surgical nurses. The authors report the goals, content, and outcomes of this advanced medical-surgical course.

AUTHORS

Ms. Gutekunst is Quality Specialist, Evidence Based Practice & Clinical Excellence Department, Ms. DeLucca is Education Specialist, Division of Education, and Ms. Kessler is Director, 6T Medical-Surgical Unit, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

Presented as a poster at the College of Nursing Annual Research Symposium: The Many Dimensions of Nursing Research, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, February 23, 2010; the AMSN 19th Annual Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 20, 2010; and the PA State Nurses Association Summit: Practice Showcase in Bringing Nursing’s Dark Side to Light: An Ethical Dilemma, DeSales University, Center Valley, Pennsylvania, October 29, 2010.

The creation and publication of this manuscript would not have been possible without the support of Nicole Hartman, MSN, RN, Nursing Excellence Specialist, Center for Professional Excellence, Lehigh Valley Health Network. The implementation and continued offerings of the Advanced Medical-Surgical Course have been made possible by generous support from the following LVHN trusts: The Roberts Nursing Education Fund and The Peggy Fleming Endowed Chair in Nursing.

Address correspondence to Marie-Claude Gutekunst, MSN, RN, PCCN, Quality Specialist, Evidence Based Practice & Clinical Excellence Department, Lehigh Valley Health Network, 1247 S. Cedar Crest Boulevard, Suite 104B, Allentown, PA 18103. E-mail: marie_c.gutekunst@lvhn.org

doi: 10.3928/00220124-20120402-18

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