Qualitative Research Methods: A Health Focus

Nurse turnover: A literature review - An update

The role of job satisfaction, work engagement, self-efficacy and agentic capacities on nurses' turnover intention and patient satisfaction

chan z.c.y., tam w.s., lung m.k.y., wong w.y. & chau c.w. (2013) Journal of Nursing Management 21, 605–613

A systematic literature review of nurse shortage and the intention to leave

Aim  To present the findings of a literature review regarding nurses’ intention to leave their employment or the profession.

Background  The nursing shortage is a problem that is being experienced worldwide. It is a problem that, left unresolved, could have a serious impact on the provision of quality health care. Understanding the reasons why nurses leave their employment or the profession is imperative if efforts to increase retention are to be successful.

Evaluation  Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify English research reports about nurses’ intention to leave their employment or the profession. Key results concerning the issue were extracted and synthesized.

Key issues  The diversified measurement instruments, samples and levels of intention to leave caused difficulties in the attempt to compare or synthesize findings. The factors influencing nurses’ intention to leave were identified and categorized into organizational and individual factors.

Conclusions  The reasons that trigger nurses’ intention to leave are complex and are influenced by organizational and individual factors. Further studies should be conducted to investigate how external factors such as job opportunities correlate with nurses’ intention to leave.

Implications for nursing management  The review provides insight that can be useful in designing and implementing strategies to maintain a sustainable workforce in nursing.

A systematic literature review of nurse shortage and the intention to leave.

Revisiting the impact of job satisfaction and organizational commitment on nurse turnover intention: an individual differences analysis.

Generational differences in factors influencing job turnover among Japanese nurses: An exploratory comparative design

Title. Nurses’ leaving intentions: antecedents and mediating factors.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to investigate how nurses’ work values, perceptions of environmental characteristics, and organizational commitment are related to their leaving intentions.

Background.  Nurse leaving is a serious international problem as it contributes to the nursing shortage that threatens the welfare of society. The characteristics of nurses, the work environment and nurses’ feelings towards their jobs (or organizations) have an impact on their leaving intentions.

Method.  A convenience sample of 849 Registered Nurses was recruited from three public hospitals in the central-west region of Japan during 2006 and 319 completed questionnaires were returned (response rate 39%). Data were analysed using regression analysis.

Findings.  Nurses’ work values and their perceptions of their workplace environment interacted to influence leaving intentions. When there was a match between the importance nurses placed on being able to challenge current clinical practices and the number of the actual opportunities to do so, leaving intentions were low. When there was a mismatch, intention to quit the job became stronger. In addition, organizational commitment intervened between nurses’ perceptions of the match in clinical challenges and leaving intention.

Conclusion.  Nurses’ leaving intentions, deserve extensive exploration of their causes. Such exploration should include attending to both nurses’ needs and organizational characteristics, investigating how the match between them could affect nurses’ leaving intention, and exploring factors that intervene between nurses’ perceptions of the match and leaving intention.

Noriko Yamashita

Papers

Generational differences in factors influencing job turnover among Japanese nurses: An exploratory comparative design

Nurses' leaving intentions: antecedents and mediating factors.