By now, you’ve probably seen the celebrations, thank-you notes, and heartwarming tributes filling your feed. Nurses Week is a time for appreciation—but it’s also a time for truth.
Because while the profession is being celebrated, early-career nurses are still walking away in alarming numbers. Not next year. Not hypothetically. Right now.
And what’s driving that decision? It’s not what a lot of people think.
The Data Is Clear—and It’s a Leadership Problem
New research from the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and Laudio confirms something many of us have witnessed firsthand: leadership bandwidth is directly impacting nurse retention.
Here’s what the numbers show:
- Nurse managers with 90+ direct reports see up to 40% turnover in early-tenure nurses.
- Those with 30 or fewer nurses on their teams? Closer to 27% turnover.
- That difference adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in preventable attrition—per unit, per year.
It’s not just about “being short-staffed.” It’s about being stretched too thin to lead well.
What Early-Career Nurses Actually Need
The research also points to specific, practical steps that change outcomes:
✅ Regular check-ins matter. New hire conversations at 30/45 days and again at 6/9 months improve retention by 6–10 percentage points.
❌ Delegating those check-ins backfires. When someone other than the direct manager handles those touchpoints, retention actually drops.
🧭 Leadership proximity builds trust. Nurses stay when they feel seen, not when they’re handed off.
Stay Interviews: A Missed Opportunity?
One powerful tool often overlooked in nurse retention? Stay interviews.
Unlike exit interviews, which happen too late, stay interviews create space for honest conversations before someone considers leaving. Done right, they build trust, uncover small frustrations before they grow, and give leaders the chance to act on real feedback.
Some of the most effective questions include:
- What keeps you coming to work each day?
- Is there anything more you’d like to learn in your role?
- Have you ever thought about leaving—and what changed your mind?
- What can I do more or less of as your manager?
These aren’t performance reviews. They’re relationship-building check-ins—and they only work when led by someone who has the power to act on the feedback.
For organizations serious about retention, incorporating structured stay interviews at 90 or 180 days (alongside onboarding check-ins) can offer a clearer view of what’s working—and what isn’t.
We Can’t Hire Our Way Out of This
For organizations already struggling to fill roles, it’s tempting to focus solely on recruitment. But here’s the hard truth: if leadership infrastructure isn’t built for retention, your hiring pipeline will always be leaking.
That’s why retention isn’t just a cultural issue—it’s a strategic one.
If you’re in a leadership role—whether at the bedside, in HR, or on the executive team—ask yourself:
- Are new nurses being seen by their leader, or just onboarded by a system?
- Is your team size allowing for meaningful leadership moments?
- Does your culture support new nurses through their first-year uncertainty?
If not, it’s time to adjust. And it’s doable. This isn’t a technology problem. It’s a people capacity one.
A Call to Action During Nurses Week
This week is for celebrating nurses—and for those in leadership, it’s also a reminder: the best way to honor the nurses of tomorrow is to build environments they want to stay in.
Early-career nurses don’t expect perfection. But they do need presence, structure, and support.
Let’s give them more than applause. Let’s give them reasons to stay.
Sources:
- American Organization for Nursing Leadership & Laudio. (2025). Early-Tenure Nurse Retention: Trends and Leader Strategies. Download Report
- Becker’s Hospital Review. (2025). What Drives New Nurse Retention? Read Article
