5 Key Learning Opportunities to Improve Lab Retention

With an aging population and a growing demand for services, today’s cardiovascular labs are very fast paced as they race to meet patient demand.  However, many labs are short staffed and struggle with high turnover.

From this scenario you can see why improving retention a top priority for many organizations.    In fact, according to a recent survey about 81.8 percent of healthcare organizations say retention is a top priority.¹ It’s no wonder with turnover rates near 30 percent. ² Plus, each percentage point increase in turnover costs the average hospital upwards of $350,000. ³ But it doesn’t stop there, high turnover goes beyond initial dollar figures and impacts lab efficiency, training, staff workload, employee satisfaction and care quality—costing even more.

So, what can you do to take positive steps towards making a change? How can you get turnover under control?  A greater emphasis on education may help.  Here are 5 key learning opportunities that you should consider to improve morale, retention and overall performance.

• Individual Online Learning – Choose a curriculum that’s based on industry standards and is available online. This promotes self-paced learning so that each individual can work towards continuing education credits or certification at their own pace. 
• Lunch/Break Time Learning Sessions – Have management lead group training sessions during lunch or break times as well as during cases to get a jump start on educating your team.
• Mentorship Committee – Once the training is well rooted, establish a committee that can take responsibility for making sure the rest of the team is making progress or making sure new employees receive the training.
• Onboarding – Create a mentorship committee that can be responsible for providing an orientation to the training and department for new employees.
• Digital Reference Guide – Staff sometimes struggles in keeping up with the technology in various labs, how its connected and the attending physician’s procedure preferences. By having a digital reference guide in each lab, the staff can quickly reference equipment and preferences in preparing for a case. 

Using this education formula, one hospital took their turnover rates from around 30% down to single digits within a few months and finally down to zero after one year. 

Our FREE Guide can help you explore all the education options and find a solution that can put your lab on the road to success.  Download now. 

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Sources:

1. NSI Nursing Solution, National Healthcare Retention and RN Staffing Report, 2016.
2. Brad Hall Group Report, 2015.
3. Brad Hall Group Report, 2015.