Strong leadership is critical to healthcare worker retention. During my time as a nurse and later, as a healthcare leader myself, I learned that championing workplace satisfaction from the top keeps healthcare workers happier and more satisfied.
Healthcare leaders are busy. Growing patient census, heavy turnover rates, and administrative tasks are distracting leaders from prioritizing worker satisfaction, leading to high rates of burnout and turnover for healthcare workers.
When I was a DON, I frequently partnered with other facilities and found that leaders who prioritized their current staff often saw a boost in retention. Instead of exacerbating the burnout-to-turnover cycle, these leaders experienced a lighter administrative burden and enhanced patient care. This taught me that retention begins with strong leaders who advocate for their employees and create a supportive environment that allows staff to thrive.
Recognition from healthcare leadership
Staffing is more volatile than ever. Nurses and health professionals are no longer simply looking for a paycheck to keep them satisfied. They’re looking for a holistic, affirming approach to work that allows them to truly make a difference and be able to show up, not just clock in and out.
Building trust with your team doesn’t happen overnight. Leaders need to dedicate consistent effort to appreciating their team and implementing changes based on the feedback they receive. According to a survey conducted by Medely in April 2025, we found that workplace appreciation, particularly from leadership, is the most significant factor influencing career satisfaction.
Recognition can take many forms, but in our survey, we found that nurses and health professionals didn’t need extravagant gestures to feel recognized. Consistent, genuine appreciation from leadership can make a lasting impression on staff, and many respondents cited simply hearing thank you as one of the top ways they feel appreciated and acknowledged.
Get to know your staff
Impactful leadership requires an intimate understanding of your team. When I was director of nursing, I had to fill a large number of openings in the operating room. Knowing my staff’s skillsets helped me more accurately select per diem workers to create a balanced, cohesive team.
I didn’t learn my staff’s strengths and weaknesses by just staying in my office. I spent time on the floor interacting with them, seeing how they worked throughout their day, and listening to what they needed in the moment. When healthcare leaders prioritize open and honest communication with their staff, healthcare workers feel comfortable sharing what they need to feel best supported.
Not only does strong support and understanding lead to a happier staff, but it’s also been consistently linked to increased positive patient outcomes and more independent, confident healthcare workers.
Advocating as healthcare leadership
As a CNO and former DON, I urge healthcare leaders to strive to be more than just a figurehead at their facility. Healthcare leadership must be the first to advocate for and encourage their team while providing a space where staff can freely voice concerns, questions, and feedback.
One of Medely’s customers, Terri DelCoco at Columbia Parkway Surgery Center, has been an outstanding example of strong healthcare leadership for both her employees and contingent staff.
Cynda, a consistent per diem worker at Terri’s facility, shared that Terri has bridged the gap between staff and per diem workers seamlessly, cultivating a positive work environment that contingent workers want to return to. “Even though I’m a Medely nurse, she makes me feel like a well-loved employee. When I go there, I know the day is going to be smooth and consistent. If new questions pop up, she’s always there to answer them.”
Open communication and active listening are critical for establishing healthy relationships with your team. If you want more formal feedback from your team, schedule meetings with your staff on a consistent basis and be open to making changes at your facility based on their feedback. This can provide ample opportunity for them to communicate their needs and concerns in a safe environment.
Model a good work-life balance for your employees
As nurses and health professionals continue to burn out, it’s vital for them to have a healthy work-life balance. Because of the physically demanding, emotionally draining nature of working in the healthcare industry, a consistent work-life balance is necessary to adequately recover from long shifts spent on your feet.
Healthcare leaders can champion healthy work-life balance by ensuring their staff feels confident taking time off and offering them flexibility in their schedules. Encourage them to go on vacation, allow them to detach and unplug from work when they’re not there, and support them when they need to take mental health days.
Providing better work-life balance for healthcare workers is essential to building a thriving healthcare community. When facilities offer flexibility, whether that’s fewer hours, more control over scheduling, or even the ability to work around personal commitments, it allows healthcare workers to stay in the workforce. Making space for different lifestyles and stages of life keeps experienced, passionate pros engaged in the system. That’s how we strengthen the entire healthcare ecosystem.
Healthcare leadership can make a difference
Strong healthcare leadership is critical for retaining and creating happy staff. When members of your team feel like leadership is in their corner, they’re able to fully dedicate themselves to their job and find more purpose in their career.
Healthcare workers want to be a part of shaping their work environment and want to share insight into the changes they want at facilities. For more insight on what healthcare workers across the nation are looking for, read about the top four changes healthcare workers want healthcare leadership to implement so they can remain engaged and passionate.
