title: Factors predicting nurses' consideration of leaving their job during the SARS outbreak.
abstract: Taiwan was affected by an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in early 2003. A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine (1) the perceptions of risk of SARS infection in nurses; (2) the proportion of nurses considering leaving their job; and (3) work as well as non-work factors related to nurses' consideration of leaving their job because of the SARS outbreak. Nearly three quarters (71.9%) of the participants believed they were 'at great risk of exposure to SARS', 49.9% felt 'an increase in workload', and 32.4% thought that people avoided them because of their job; 7.6% of the nurses not only considered that they should not care for SARS patients but were looking for another job or considering resignation. The main predictors of nurses' consideration of leaving their job were shorter tenure, increased work stress, perceived risk of fatality from SARS, and affected social relationships. The findings are important in view of potential impending threats of pandemics such as avian influenza.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Section 1, Jen-Ai Road, Taipei 10051, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Judith Shu-Chu
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shiao
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Meng-Kin
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Yueliang Leon
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology; D003657:Decision Making; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016079:Refusal to Treat / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D016526:Workload