Comparatively speaking, my unit was #1 for 4 consecutive years at 100% new grad nurse retention. Over the years we remained 90% or above.
I would like to share one year that I lost all 3 new grads that I hired at their 2-year mark. While this was a huge loss to the team, I did celebrate one factor. All 3 nurses gave me notice 2-6 months out. All three sat me down knowing the value I had in them and said, your not going to want to hear this but....
When you purposefully connect with your staff 1:1. Show value in them as a person and professional, this is what happens. They were tearful moments for me and the nurses. They were my shining stars!
One left because her partner's job relocated, another left because she was a traveler and wanted to travel as a nurse and explore different ways of nursing before coming back and settling. And the 3rd was dealing with personal/health issues.
While this stopped my streak of 100% by numbers, it was still a success in my book. There was value, trust, and a relationship between leader and staff.