In today’s U.S. hospital environment, engaging early-career nurses is more critical than ever. The primary keyword for this article is “early-career nurse engagement”, and it will appear naturally throughout. According to the 2025 NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc. National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report, in 2024 more than 22% of newly-hired registered nurses left within a year — and the first two years accounted for the majority of RN separations.
For the 13-hospital Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) network based in Springfield, Illinois, this prompted a bold, system-wide effort to improve early-career nurse engagement — ensuring that nurses feel supported, confident and aligned with organizational goals.
1. The Challenge of Early-Career Nurse Engagement
Early-career nurse engagement is shaped by two linked forces: turnover risk and shifting clinical complexity.
- In acute-care hospitals in the U.S., the national staff RN turnover rate in 2024 was 16.4%.
- For early-tenure nurses (first 18 months), turnover rates can be roughly twice those of later-tenure staff in many specialties.
- At HSHS, leaders cite that nurses entering practice today face higher patient acuity and complexity than pre-pandemic graduates, making the transition tougher.
These trends point to a clear need: hospitals must design programs that foster early-career nurse engagement deliberately — not just assume commitment will carry through.
2. HSHS’ Strategic Approach: Building Engagement by Design
HSHS is leading with a structured strategy anchored in three pillars: transition support, leadership visibility & shared governance, and career growth pathways.
Transition Support & Residency Program
- HSHS is updating its residency program to include clear competency milestones and a strengthened preceptor development component.
- The system is also moving to obtain accreditation of its residency through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to ensure rigor and external validation.
- The residency also supports peer connections across departments — one resident commented on how valuable it was to “form connections with new graduates in other departments.”
This transition-focused support directly fosters engagement by helping early-career nurses feel competent, connected and valued from day one.
Leadership Presence & Shared Decision-Making
- New HSHS Chief Nurse, Kelley Kostich, PhD, RN, meets weekly with market chief nursing officers and conducts quarterly onsite visits to front-line teams.
- HSHS is refreshing its shared governance model so nurses at all career stages are invited to shape care delivery — reinforcing that their voices matter.
Leadership accessibility and meaningful involvement in decision-making are known drivers of engagement and retention.
Career Pathways for Early-Career Nurses
- At HSHS, the goal is to provide clarity and momentum early: what the next role looks like, specialty options, and long-term advancement.
- Rather than a static career ladder, HSHS continuously evaluates the pathways to keep them relevant as care models evolve.
For early-career nurses, seeing a visible trajectory and having development opportunities is key to staying engaged.
3. Why These Strategies Work for Engagement
Here’s a breakdown of how HSHS’ approach maps to evidence-based best practices for early-career nurse engagement:
- Onboarding & residency: Extended orientation, residency and preceptor programs are strongly linked with reduced turnover and improved retention in early-career nurses.
- Leadership visibility & decision inclusion: Supportive leadership and shared governance correlate with higher job satisfaction and lower turnover.
- Career development clarity: Providing structured growth opportunities reduces the risk of early career disengagement and turnover.
By deploying these elements system-wide, HSHS is not simply reacting but proactively cultivating engagement.
4. U.S. Market Context & Implications for Healthcare Staffing
In the U.S., healthcare staffing firms such as 3B Healthcare and hospital systems must pay close attention to early-career nurse engagement because:
- The cost of turnover for one bedside RN averages approximately $61,110 in 2024.
- Early-career turnover impacts both team morale and patient care outcomes — less experienced nurse teams may struggle with complexity.
- Investing in engagement and retention becomes a competitive differentiator in staffing strategy, especially in a tight labor market.
3B Healthcare’s staffing and partnership solutions can leverage insights from systems like HSHS by aligning their early-career nurse workforce strategies with these best practices.
5. Key Takeaways for Nurse Leaders & Staffing Partners
- Prioritize early-career nurse engagement as a distinct focus, not just part of general retention.
- Use structured nurse residency and preceptor programs to support competence and connection.
- Ensure active leadership presence and create shared-governance mechanisms for nurses.
- Provide clear, relevant career pathways from day one and revisit them regularly as roles evolve.
- Staffing partners should collaborate with clinical systems to embed these practices and support workforce stability.
Conclusion
Focusing intentionally on early-career nurse engagement is no longer optional — it’s essential. HSHS’s comprehensive strategy demonstrates how engagement can be built through transition support, leadership visibility and career development. For U.S. health systems and staffing organizations like 3B Healthcare, adopting this kind of model offers a path to better nurse retention, stronger team performance and improved patient care outcomes. By embedding early-career nurse engagement into your organizational DNA, you invest in both the workforce and the future of care.
If you’re looking to strengthen early-career nurse engagement in your organization, explore how 3B Healthcare’s staffing and workforce-solutions can partner with you to build sustainable engagement strategies. Contact us today.
FAQs
Early-career nurse engagement refers to how strongly nurses new to practice (typically within their first 1-2 years) feel connected, supported, valued and motivated in their roles. It encompasses orientation, transition support, career clarity, leadership interaction and peer relationships.
Because turnover among early-career nurses is significantly higher than average — and each resignation represents large costs, lost productivity, decreased morale and potential impacts on patient care. Effective engagement early improves retention outcomes.
Health systems can implement accredited nurse residency programs, preceptor-mentorship frameworks, enable inclusive leadership and shared decision-making, offer clear professional growth pathways, and ensure peer-cohort connection across departments.
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