Number of voluntary uncontrolled separations during the month for unit Registered Nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) divided by the number of unit employees (full-time plus part-time) on the last day of the month for RNs and APNs, multiplied by 100 to get percentage.

Voluntary turnover for unit nurses is an average of 5 percent or less per year.

Collect data on the unit monthly. Exclusions include separation due to death, illness, pregnancy, relocation, retirement, performance or discipline; cutbacks due to mergers, cyclical layoffs, permanent reductions in force per diem; consultants, temporary, agency, non-salaried physicians; and students in training.

For more information, see the National Quality Forum National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Nursing-Sensitive Care: An Initial Performance Measure Set (2004). (http://www.qualityforum.org/publications/reports/nsc.asp).