Nursing is definitely one of the professions facing a serious labor shortage, as more baby boomers retire.  Smart health care leaders are trying to retain their experienced nurses as long as possible. But how do you re-engage veteran health care workers who are essential, if your organization is to thrive and grow in the era of affordable care?

Click on the video below to learn how one rural health care system in North Carolina created a cost effective program to re-energize its highest performing nurses to extend their careers in the hospital.

If you have a significant group of veteran employees, are there ways you could adapt a program like this to your organization? There are four things this initiative does that make it successful.

Identify Your Most Critical Talent at Risk

First, the hospital explicitly recognizes experienced employees who are top contributors and whose departure would be a serious loss. The reality is not all older workers are created equal in terms of their performance and contribution to the business. Have you clearly identified the employees whose capabilities and contributions will be most difficult to replace?

Make Sure High-Performers Feel Valued

Second, this employer invests heavily in making its high-performing employees feel valued, sending them to a beach resort, helping them de-stress, and explicitly thanking them for their contribution. Do you continually remind your most valuable employees how much you appreciate what they bring to the organization?

Help Employees Dream Big

Third, nurses in this program, which they call “Fanning the Flame,” learn a variety of different ways their career could be enhanced. One of the program’s organizers told me:

“We want to keep them at the bedside, but we also want these nurses to grow professionally. So we acquaint them with opportunities to expand their practice specifically in the areas of leadership, research, professional development and community service.”

As employees approach retirement, you may not be able to keep engaged in the same job, but are you showing them other options that would keep them committed to the organization, and keep their know-how available to others?

Measure Retention Results

Fourth, leaders in this health care system were very aware of the financial benefits of reducing the turnover of veteran nurses. They monitored the impact on those employees who participated in the program and could show a clear return on their investment. Have you built a business case for your investments in retention programs? Do you know the cost of doing nothing?

For more solutions on how to leverage your aging and changing workforce, sign up for my blog or contact me if you’d like to explore innovative ways to retain the critical capabilities of your best employees.