Health System Methods to Improve Nursing Retention Amidst Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic: a Mixed Method Study

This study is a mixed-method exploratory study with the aim to determine an objective compensation or mechanism of support from a healthcare system standpoint to aid in retention of nursing staff amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It will include semi-structured qualitative interviews of current and prior nursing staff from the Trauma/Surgical floor, Progressive Care Unit, and ICU, in addition to Trauma/Surgical unit and system administrators; the second portion of the study will include a quantitative survey distributed via email to current nurses on the Trauma/Surgical floor, Progressive Care Unit, and ICU to assess ranked priority of additional mechanisms of support to improve intention of retention.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Motivational Factors for Nurse Retention; Nurse Well-being

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 120

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Colorado
    • Loveland, Colorado, United States, 80538
      • UCHealth - Medical Center of the Rockies

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants for the qualitative interviews will include current bedside nursing and clinical administrative staff at UCHealth - Medical Center of the Rockies on the Trauma/Surgical floor, the Surgical Progressive Care Unit, and the Surgical ICU. Other participants will also include prior nurses who have left their job on these respective units in the prior 24 months. Registered nurses, men and women, day-time and night-time nurses, full-time versus part-time nurses, and those with variable lengths of experience will be incorporated who have been or are currently involved with direct patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The quantitative survey will be distributed to all current nurses on the above listed units.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Registered nurses on the Trauma/Surgical floor, Surgical Progressive Care Unit, or Surgical ICU who are currently working or who have worked bedside in the past 24 months
• Adult hospital administrative staff

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-Registered nurses (ie. CNAs, LPNs)
• RNs without clinical bedside experience in the past 24 months
• RNs working on other units beside the Trauma/Surgical floor, Surgical Progressive Care Unit, or Surgical ICU

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Identify a common mechanism or implementation to improve intention of retention or nurses amongst the Trauma/Surgical units amidst COVID-19	The goal is to identify a common theme amongst nurses on the Trauma/Surgical units regarding a means of compensation or action item from the healthcare system to improve intention of retention amidst ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Obtaining this is two-fold, to include qualitative interviewing with nurses on the affected units first-hand with subsequent transcription and coding to identify common themes; and a widely distributed quantitative survey to assess ranked priorities to implement to improve intention of retention.	24 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Commonly-identified challenges nurses are facing on a Trauma/Surgical unit during COVID-19	The goal is to identify common challenges nurses on Trauma/Surgical units during COVID-19. This will primarily be obtained via qualitative interviewing of nurses on the affected unit first-hand to discuss the most challenging parts of their jobs, in particularly during COVID-19, subsequently followed by transcription and coding and analysis to identify common themes.	24 months
Commonly-identified support mechanisms implemented by the healthcare system that have aided in intention of retention of nurses on a Trauma/Surgical unit during COVID-19	The goal is to identify common interventions the healthcare systems has provided that has helped with intention of retention of nursing staff during COVID-19. To obtain this, qualitative interviewing will be done speaking to affected nurses first-hand, following by subsequent transcription and coding and data analysis to identify these common themes.	24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Poudre Valley Health System
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Claire Aksamit, University of Colorado Health

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 23, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 1, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): March 7, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 8, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 6, 2025
• Last Verified: June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; COVID-19
• Other Study ID Numbers: 21-4768

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No