Twilight (The Flamingo Hotel)
Monday, 29 January 2007
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Twilight (The Flamingo Hotel)
Tuesday, 30 January 2007
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Ten Strategies to Improve Nurse Survey Participation Rate

Rob Daigneault, CHE, MS, MBA and Susan Fetzer, RN, PHD, MBA. Nursing, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, 8 Prospect Street, Box 2014, Nashua, NH 03016

Extensive research on nurse job satisfaction has demonstrated relationships to turnover, intent to leave, decision making, autonomy and professional behaviors. Nurse job satisfaction as a NDNQI quality indicator provides important data with which to monitor the organizational culture and administrative interventions. However, job satisfaction data can be biased by sampling error which reduces the power of a study to detect differences between groups. Because the risk of sampling error is higher with small sample sizes, institutions strive to obtain high participation rates when conducting annual RN job satisfaction surveys. The factors involved in survey participation are not well known, though numerous strategies have been used to improve participation rates.

 

This session describes the top ten strategies implemented at one community medical center to improve participation rate in the RN Satisfaction survey. Using these strategies the first survey, completed in 2004, resulted in a unit participation rate of 78% of 330 eligible RNs, with only one unit boosting 100% participation. Additional strategies in 2005 resulted in slight improvement of 79% of 328 eligible RNs with 5 units reporting 100% participation. In 2006, the goal of 85% unit participation rate by 366 eligible nurses from 14 units was achieved.

 

Following this session the participant will be able to list two contributions to sampling error and identify one strategy to implement during their NDNQI survey of RN satisfaction. Strategies discussed will include mailed invitations, weekly prizes, intranet communications, unit participation awards, gift certificates and posters. Examples of the strategies will be available to participants. The strength of NDNQI national comparisons relies on the strength of the data, which in turn, is dependent on strategies to minimize sampling error.


See more of Strategies for Implementing and Maintaining Effective Indicator Data Collection
See more of The NDNQI Data Use Conference (January 29-31, 2007)