title: Does nurses' health affect their intention to remain in their current position?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate and describe nurses' and midwives' physical health, rates of symptoms and disease, and to determine if these factors contribute to intention to leave.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The nursing and midwifery workforce is ageing yet little is known about their physical health or its relationship to intention to leave.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online survey of health and work-related assessments was distributed through the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association and professional contacts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nurses and midwives (n = 5041) reported good-very good health overall. With 22.2% intending to leave in the next 12 months, older age, better perceived health and job satisfaction, regional residence and not working shifts predicted no intention to leave while breathing problems predicted intention to leave.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study findings flag the importance of health as an influence on intention to leave. Alongside job satisfaction and shift-working, health presents opportunities for workplace initiatives to maintain nurses in the workforce.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educators, managers and policy makers should heed the significant influence of health for retention of staff and consider what strategies may mitigate health risks for this workforce.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. lin.perry@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duffield
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sibbritt
authors.affiliation: Health Services Management, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bichel-Findlay
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nicholls
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D009517:New South Wales; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000592:standards
keywords: health; intention to leave; job satisfaction nurse; midwife