Boomerang Nursing Staff - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

There is little to cheer about with nursing workforce trends, but one positive shift in hiring is the phenomenon of boomerang staff. The story often goes like this…

One of my seasoned nurses got caught up in a flurry of resignations from our unit. She felt she needed to explore what else was out there. I told her as she left that the door would always be open but frankly I did not expect to see her back. It only took three months on a travel assignment to change her mind. She called me and said she had made a mistake and felt disconnected from other staff. She also reported that there is so much about being a traveler that is not discussed, and the money did not end up being what she expected. She quickly came back. Her return was great for the team and morale – she sent a strong message that maybe the grass is not greener on the other side.

This Boomerang trend is being widely reported, including in this week’s Wall Street Journal. The journal article notes that 3/4 of employees who quit to take new jobs during the pandemic regret leaving their former employer. Many felt misled about their new roles, and 40% indicated that they would try to get their former jobs back. This trend was especially true in younger staff who may not have as much experience interviewing and negotiating for new roles. Linked In data now indicates that up to 4.5 % of new hires today are boomerang employees. Where employers were once leery about returning staff, there has been a mindset shift. Boomerang employees are less costly to reorient and know the organizational culture. Many resignations in nursing over the past two years occurred because nurses felt burned out and exhausted while not realizing that shortage staffing is now everywhere. Research from MIT indicates that Boomerang employees are typically more satisfied and more committed than external hires. Because of this, they also perform at higher levels than their peers, secure better performance reviews than new hires, and are more likely to be promoted than non-boomerang peers.

There are caveats for managers to consider in this situation. Experts advise that you have a frank discussion during the interview about what drove the staff member to leave and what led them to want to return. It is also important not to skip onboarding – it is essential, especially if a significant amount of time has elapsed. Poor onboarding raises the risk of losing the employee again, so tailor the experience to their needs and personalize the process to identify and address knowledge gaps. Finally, the salary needs to be considered. If there is a significant salary increase involved, you may inadvertently message the rest of the team that this is the only way to increase compensation.

Boomerang nurses can be an invaluable addition and a morale boost for your team. Every nurse leader should strategically offboard valued staff who leave with the idea that they may one day soon come back.

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