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Abstract
In light of the nursing shortage, retention becomes exceedingly important. This paper examines the impact of a mentorship program on nursing turnover at a rural hospital in Powell, Wyoming. Every newly hired nurse (n = 13) was assigned a trained mentor for the first year of employment. One-year turnover rates dropped from 66.7% to zero for the two years after implementation of the mentorship program. Nurses who participated in interviews about their experiences in the rural hospital cited "a supportive work environment" as a reason for staying. The analysis of the cost/benefit ratio clearly reveals that a mentorship program is financially beneficial. Results from this rural hospital study indicate that changes to the organizational culture including the institution of a mentorship program may have been associated with a decrease in the one-year nursing turnover rate. Other rural hospitals that are struggling with these same issues may benefit from implementing a mentorship program as part of changes to the organizational culture.
