title: Why do nurses at a university hospital want to quit their jobs?
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate to what extent the registered nurses at a university hospital intend to quit their present jobs and the reasons for this. A total of 833 nurses at a university hospital responded to two mailed, work-environment questionnaires (Quality Work Competence and Huddinge University Hospital Model Questionnaire). About 54% (n = 449) intended to quit and 35% (n = 155) had already taken steps to do so. Main reasons were dissatisfaction with the salary (65%), psychologically strenuous and stressful work (32%), a wish to 'try something new' (28%) and limited opportunities to make a professional career (19%). Nurses who intended to quit ('quitters') rated a higher work tempo (P < 0.001), experienced an increased work-related exhaustion (P < 0.001) and a lower quality of patient care (P < 0.01). They also perceived to a lower degree that their competence was made good use of (P < 0.001) and that they had fewer opportunities of developing their own competence (P < 0.001) and making a professional career. They were less satisfied with the support from their superiors for participating in nursing research and developing projects (P < 0.001). Finally, the 'quitters' knew to a significantly lesser extent (P < 0.001) why they had the actual salary they had, what the salary was based on and what to do to improve it. However, it was found that the hospital still had a 'core group' of highly motivated and dedicated nurses with an unusually high amount of mental energy left. All findings regarding the 'quitters' are factors amenable to interventions.
authors.affiliation: The Nursing Care Research and Development Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gardulf
authors.forename: Inga-Lena
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Söderström
authors.forename: Marie-Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Orton
authors.forename: Lars E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arnetz
authors.forename: Gun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nordström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D002322:Career Mobility; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance; D016526:Workload