Retention of Native American nurses working in their communities.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of Native American nurses working in their tribal communities to address retention.

Design: An interpretive phenomenological study guided by a Native American research agenda and a Native American nursing practice model.

Methods: In-depth interviews with nine Native American nurses were conducted. Data analysis used interpretive phenomenological procedures including an iterative process with Native American consultants and researchers to develop themes.

Conclusions: Native American nurses experienced a great deal of stress and illness as they attempted to fulfill their mission to help their people. The three themes were: (a) paying the price to fulfill my mission, (b) being and connecting holistically, and (c) transcending the system. Recommendations include strategies for nurse educators, tracking the ethnicity of nurses in each Indian Health Service area, documenting their reasons for leaving, and conducting further research to develop community-based interventions to improve retention.