This research applied the life table technique to nursing personnel data in two types of hospitals to illustrate how administrators can examine patterns of continued employment. Although a large proportion of nurses were short-stay employees, the teaching hospital was found to have a higher retention rate than the community hospital corporation. The retention patterns are examined by personal and professional characteristics, as well as by reason for termination. Implications of our findings are discussed with respect to policy concerns related to hiring, retention, productivitv, and staff development.
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