This inquiry investigated the phenomenon of 'staying' as a feature of the turnover, recruitment and retention of social workers in hospital settings. In the absence of specific literature on the subject, the study made a significant and original contribution to knowledge about social work staff turnover, including the meaning attached to work, the relationship of social workers to the hospital organisation, and to job satisfaction. Using qualitative methodology, data were collected from multiple sources including in-depth interviews at two large Sydney Teaching Hospitals, a period of engagement in each Social Work Department, a comprehensive review of primary data from archival records of the Directors of Social Work Services in Teaching Hospitals (NSW) between 1981-1999, and secondary source materials of federal and state health policy documents. Two core categories emerged from the study which were social workers 'tolerance' of the hospital environment and their qualities of 'selfactualisation'. Of central importance to the inquiry was the discovery of grounded theory which explained the relationship of these categories to the phenomenon of 'staying'. The intersection of 'tolerance' and 'self- actualisation' qualified 'staying' as either a positive or negative experience for the social worker and the hospital. This theory was presented as an original model which with further refinement, could be used as a predictive tool in studies of turnover of social workers in hospital settings. The findings challenged existing theories that staff retention was preferable to staff turnover in hospital organisations and identified qualities in hospital social workers which would ensure the continuing relevance of social work to the changing hospital environment. The model has implications for hospitals, Social Work Departments and for social work education in the preparation and training of social workers to join the hospital workforce. Specific activities that supported the 'self-actualisation' of social workers, and aspects of 'tolerance' were identified which worked for the benefit of both social workers and hospitals.

Mentoring has been proposed as a human resource strategy to encourage recruitment and retention of nurses in Canada. However, very little research exists related to mentoring in nursing. The purpose of this study was to describe the mentoring perceptions of acute care, clinical registered nurses based on their years of nursing practice, age, gender, and education level. A descriptive correlational design was performed on an analysis of a subset of the pre-workshop data gathered as part of the research of Ferguson, Myrick, and Yonge (2006). The conceptual framework used to structure the research questions was Benners Novice to Expert model (Benner, 1984; Benner, Tanner, & Chesla, 1996). The main research question related to the relationship between nursing experience level and mentoring perceptions. More specifically, what is the relationship between age, years of nursing practice, education level, gender, and mentoring perceptions including perceived costs and benefits to mentoring, willingness to mentor, mentoring functions of coworkers, and satisfaction with current mentoring relationships? This research established that age, years of nursing practice on the current unit, and education level had some impact on mentoring perceptions. Older nurses believed that the mentor played a greater psychosocial function in the mentorship than did younger nurses. Nurses with fewer years of practice on their current unit perceived fewer costs to mentoring, were more satisfied with their mentor, and were more willing to mentor. Previous experience as a protégé positively impacted mentoring perceptions. Nurses with prior mentoring experience were more willing to mentor. There were no significant differences between nurses with diplomas or degrees as their basic or highest level of education in nursing and mentoring perceptions. Nurses with a baccalaureate degree in another discipline perceived more benefits to mentoring than their diploma-prepared colleagues. No significant differences were noted when comparing gender with mentoring perceptions. The results of this study will provide healthcare organizations with a deeper understanding of mentoring perceptions and mentorships. From the knowledge acquired by this study, organizations can better encourage and endorse formal and informal mentoring in acute care environments. Retention and recruitment of registered nurses can be facilitated through support for mentoring.

Mentoring has been proposed as a human resource strategy to encourage recruitment and retention of nurses in Canada. However, very little research exists related to mentoring in nursing. The purpose of this study was to describe the mentoring perceptions of acute care, clinical registered nurses based on their years of nursing practice, age, gender, and education level. A descriptive correlational design was performed on an analysis of a subset of the pre-workshop data gathered as part of the research of Ferguson, Myrick, and Yonge (2006). The conceptual framework used to structure the research questions was Benners Novice to Expert model (Benner, 1984; Benner, Tanner, & Chesla, 1996). The main research question related to the relationship between nursing experience level and mentoring perceptions. More specifically, what is the relationship between age, years of nursing practice, education level, gender, and mentoring perceptions including perceived costs and benefits to mentoring, willingness to mentor, mentoring functions of coworkers, and satisfaction with current mentoring relationships? This research established that age, years of nursing practice on the current unit, and education level had some impact on mentoring perceptions. Older nurses believed that the mentor played a greater psychosocial function in the mentorship than did younger nurses. Nurses with fewer years of practice on their current unit perceived fewer costs to mentoring, were more satisfied with their mentor, and were more willing to mentor. Previous experience as a protégé positively impacted mentoring perceptions. Nurses with prior mentoring experience were more willing to mentor. There were no significant differences between nurses with diplomas or degrees as their basic or highest level of education in nursing and mentoring perceptions. Nurses with a baccalaureate degree in another discipline perceived more benefits to mentoring than their diploma-prepared colleagues. No significant differences were noted when comparing gender with mentoring perceptions. The results of this study will provide healthcare organizations with a deeper understanding of mentoring perceptions and mentorships. From the knowledge acquired by this study, organizations can better encourage and endorse formal and informal mentoring in acute care environments. Retention and recruitment of registered nurses can be facilitated through support for mentoring.

Every day, children are removed from their homes of origin by Children & Family Services and placed into foster care. When the county foster homes become full, private foster family agencies are relied upon to take in the overflow. For a variety of reasons, private agencies are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain sufficient numbers of foster parents to house all of these children. This is a pressing problem in the social work field as, without proper placement options, many children will simply fall through the cracks in the system. The purpose of this research was to explore and address the many concerns surrounding foster parenting, thereby improving foster parent recruitment and retention. Surveys were completed by foster family agency staff (both private and county), current and former foster parents, and people who have considered foster parenting but later changed their minds. Qualitative data gleaned from these surveys revealed improvement that could be made in foster parent recruitment and retention for both private and county agencies. This research has the potential to increase the pool of available foster homes and save the lives of many children.

The critical and growing shortage of nurses is a global concern. The growth and sustainability of the nursing profession depends on the ability to recruit and retain the upcoming generation of professionals. Understanding the career choice experiences of Millennial nurses is a critical component of recruitment and retention strategies. An interpretive, narrative methodology, was used to understand how Millennial explain, account for, and make sense of their choice of nursing as a career. Individual, face to face interviews were conducted with 12 Millennial Nursing students (born 1980 or after), for whom nursing was their preferred career choice. Participants were interviewed twice and chronicled their career choice experiences within reflective journals. Data was analyzed using Polkinghorne’s method of narrative configuration and emplotment. The participants’ narratives present a shift from understanding career choice within a virtuous plot to one of social positioning. Career choice was initially emplotted around a traditional and stereotypical understanding of nursing as a virtuous profession: altruistic, noble, caring, and compassionate. The narrative scripts evolved from positioning nursing as virtuous towards understanding the meaning of career choice in relation to one’s position in the social world. The narratives position career choice in relation to the participants’ desire for autonomy, respect and quality of life. Pragmatic considerations such as lifestyle, job security, salary and social status were also emphasized. The narratives represent career choice as a complex consideration of social positioning, fraught with hopes, dreams, doubts and tensions. The participants’ perceptions and expectations in relation to their future nursing careers were influenced by a historical and stereotypical understanding of nursing; an image that remains prevalent in society. Insight gained from this inquiry can inform recruitment, education, socialization and retention strategies for the upcoming and future generations of nurses.

The critical and growing shortage of nurses is a global concern. The growth and sustainability of the nursing profession depends on the ability to recruit and retain the upcoming generation of professionals. Understanding the career choice experiences of Millennial nurses is a critical component of recruitment and retention strategies. An interpretive, narrative methodology, was used to understand how Millennial explain, account for, and make sense of their choice of nursing as a career. Individual, face to face interviews were conducted with 12 Millennial Nursing students (born 1980 or after), for whom nursing was their preferred career choice. Participants were interviewed twice and chronicled their career choice experiences within reflective journals. Data was analyzed using Polkinghorne’s method of narrative configuration and emplotment. The participants’ narratives present a shift from understanding career choice within a virtuous plot to one of social positioning. Career choice was initially emplotted around a traditional and stereotypical understanding of nursing as a virtuous profession: altruistic, noble, caring, and compassionate. The narrative scripts evolved from positioning nursing as virtuous towards understanding the meaning of career choice in relation to one’s position in the social world. The narratives position career choice in relation to the participants’ desire for autonomy, respect and quality of life. Pragmatic considerations such as lifestyle, job security, salary and social status were also emphasized. The narratives represent career choice as a complex consideration of social positioning, fraught with hopes, dreams, doubts and tensions. The participants’ perceptions and expectations in relation to their future nursing careers were influenced by a historical and stereotypical understanding of nursing; an image that remains prevalent in society. Insight gained from this inquiry can inform recruitment, education, socialization and retention strategies for the upcoming and future generations of nurses.

Thesis advisor: Martin Scanlan / This qualitative case study explored the role central office leaders played in recruiting, developing and retaining principal human capital in Lawrence Public Schools. One of the key strategies of central office transformation is the creation of assistance relationships with principals, which serves as the conceptual framework for this study. Data was gathered from interviews with central office leaders and principals as well as a document review. The results of the study found that central office leaders targeted principals with certain characteristics and recruited candidates from within and outside of the district. Central office leaders provided in-district professional development and engaged external organizations in the process. Work environment and a focus on cultivating local talent contributed to principal retention. Findings further indicated that the assistance relationships developed between central office leaders and principals contributed to principal development and retention through their impact on the work environment. Recommendations include continual examination of work environment and development of assistance relationships for their contribution to principal human capital. Future researchers may continue to contribute to the growing body of literature by examining these findings and offering a longitudinal view of this practice. This strand’s findings may provide insights into practices to recruit, develop and retain principals in low-performing districts. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

no / Implicit in the current dialogue on community policing in Australia and New Zealand, is the assumption that the people who comprise our policing organisations need to respond efficiently and competently to changing demographics, crime, terrorism, increasing community and government expectations. It is timely for Australian and New Zealand police jurisdictions to take a lead role in policy and practice of policing in a culturally, linguistically, politically and religiously diverse environment. In order to facilitate this, focus and organisational commitment must be given to developing leadership and recruitment and retention initiatives which enhance the internal diversity of our workforces.

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with choosing mental health nursing as a career, and to explore the possible ways of improving recruitment and retention of mental health nurses in Kenya. Quantitative, explorative descriptive research was conducted. Data collection was done by using questionnaires and focus group discussions. Three groups participated in the study: practicing mental health nurses (n=10), post-basic mental health nursing students (n=10) and final year basic nursing students (n=184). The findings revealed that basic nursing students do not intend to pursue a career in mental health nursing, and that there is an aging population of mental health nurses. The barriers to the mental health field include stigma, a poor working environment and inadequate career guidance. Marketing, policy and regulatory reforms, as well as positive work environments have been identified as strategies for improving the recruitment and retention of mental health nurses in Kenya. / Health Studies / Thesis (M.A. (Health Studies))

To ensure quality patient care hospitals invest in nursing intellectual capital by allocating financial, human and material resources for nurses to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to provide safe patient care. This study’s purpose was to test selected propositions of the middle-range theory of nursing intellectual capital which provides a conceptualization of the influence of nurses’ knowledge, skills and experience (nursing human capital) to patient and organizational outcomes. The theory was systematically developed after a critical review of the literature. It proposes that nursing human capital (registered nurses’ experience, and knowledge and skills acquired from continuing professional development including university courses, conferences, workshops, in-services, specialty certification) is related to variables within the work environment (nurse staffing, employer support for nurse continuing professional development), which in turn, is associated with the quality of patient care (adverse events) and the recruitment and retention of nurses. The theory also proposes that nursing structural capital, nursing knowledge available within practice guidelines, is associated with the quality of patient care. A cross-sectional design was used to test the proposed relationships. The study took place in 6 acute care hospitals in two provinces of Canada. Financial, human resource and risk management data were collected from hospital departmental databases and a survey of unit managers. Data from 91 inpatient units were used with structural equation modeling to test the theory’s propositions. The results indicated that nurses’ knowledge and skills represented by the proportion of RNs with degrees and proportion of RNs with specialty certification were directly associated with low hospital-acquired infection rates. Nurse experience, measured as mean years RN professional experience and RN unit tenure, was found to be significantly related to higher RN recruitment and retention. The proportion of RNs with degrees was found to partially mediate the influence of nurse staffing on hospital-acquired infections. The results provide preliminary evidence of the association of nursing intellectual capital with patient and organizational outcomes. The findings may assist administrators with fiscal and human resource decision-making related to the education of nurses within acute care hospitals, and professional organizations with policies governing nursing education and continuing professional development.