Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital is proud to announce that we have achieved 100% voluntary retention among our registered respiratory therapists (RRTs) for the past year. In comparison, the turnover rate for RRTs across St. Louis is currently 17.2%. This is a significant accomplishment for the hospital that greatly improves the quality of care for the patients we serve.
Ranken Jordan’s mission, vision, and core values are not just words on paper, but the heartbeat of our hospital. Led by Nick Beck as director and Jill Phoenix as manager, our respiratory therapy team exemplifies collaborative teamworkand excellence. The role of respiratory raised in popularity and significance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic, the reliance of health care members to help manage respiratory illnesses skyrocketed, leading to some industry changes, such as higher wages. According to a recent article in the American Association for Respiratory Care,“a number of people close to retiring made the decision to leave the field – COVID is speeding up the process that had already begun. And I don’t see many new young RTs stepping up to take their place as profession leaders.” Ranken Jordan resists this trend as Nick and Jill’s leadership has fostered a culture where every team member feels valued, supported, and connected to the mission.
The core of this achievement has been redefining the workplace culture and the employee experience. According to Nick, “our team genuinely cares about one another, and we try our best to make sure everyone feels supported.” He explains there are three pillars to the process: team support, workload management, and competitive pay. All of this begins and end with clear communication. As a leader, Nick does his best to maintain open and honest communication with team members. The open-door policy ensures that everyone stays informed, engaged, and aligned with broader team goals.
In reaching goals, the respiratory therapy team excels at celebrating all achievements, big and small. There are intentional processes as well as more personal informal habits. RRTs submit “Peep of the Month” nominations to recognize an exceptional teammate to be featured on the digital signage around the hospital. They also take advantage of established hospital wide recognitions such as the MRJ Way submissions as well as employee shout-outs at each shift huddle. In Nick’s words, “it’s the genuine in-the-moment acknowledgements and simple thank yous that staff typically say is most impactful.”
Nick and other leaders work closely with the Ranken Jordan human resources team to make recognition a part of our culture. Angela, chief human resource officer, shares she would echo the sentiment that retention at this level shows that we have a team engaged in our mission, vision, and values and a team that genuinely cares about one another.
As we reflect on this achievement, we’ve learned that the small moments of compassion matter most. Saying “thank you,” being kind, and supporting teammates, are actions that create a resilient, united team. As a hospital, it is our responsibility to continue to prioritize the amazing people we hire, knowing that their well-being fuels our success.
Together, we celebrate the excellence and the unwavering spirit of Ranken Jordan. By the example of our incredible respiratory therapists, we remain steadfast in the vision to help each patient live their best life.
