Getting Millennial Nurses to Commit to Your Organization

We know firsthand what it’s like to be a parent to millennial nurses. My millennial daughter is married to a travel nurse. They are out living the dream in their “tiny house” on wheels with a beautiful cream-colored golden retriever named Arlo. Jennifer, a nurse herself for 43 years, is a mother to a millennial travel nurse living the good life in California. We each understand the challenges of raising millennials and the challenges of keeping millennials engaged within your organization.

Millennials have a different view of the world than previous generations. Gauging what’s important to them and how to keep them engaged can be daunting. According to the Advisory Board, engagement for a millennial is not a predictive index of intent to stay with a company. Most people think engagement equals loyalty. This is not the case with the millennial nurse. The millennial nurses of today have witnessed their parents go through the ‘great recession’ where they witnessed their parents struggle as loyalty was thrown aside by their employer. The millennial nurse enters the nursing profession with student debt unseen in other generations, creating the desire to move ahead financially to pay down these debts. The millennial nurse is technologically savvy and enjoys being intellectually challenged in new ways; they will resist outdated training and onboarding methods. Millennial nurses also prefers a set schedule, so they can plan their “experiences,” which is more important to them than owning a big house or a nice car.