Since 2012, Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health has retained 93.8 percent of its first-year nurses, and its nurse turnover rate is hree times better than the national rate.
Nearly 33 percent of new hospital nurses leave their jobs within the first year, according to a 2023 report from NSI Nursing Solutions. The average hospital nurse turnover rate — regardless of tenure — in the U.S. is 22.5 percent, and at UC Davis Health, it's less than 7 percent.
UC Davis leaders attribute their retention success to its yearlong nurse residency program, support for nurses achieving a BSN, and relationship-based care model and culture.