Aims and objectives To explore the factors associated with the intention to leave among nurses in small‐ and medium‐sized hospitals and to determine the predictors about work environment and rewards. Background Compared with large hospitals, insight into the working conditions, rewards and turnover of nurses working for these hospitals is lacking internationally. Design Cross‐sectional study design. Methods Data were obtained from the Korean Nurses Association's 2016 Welfare Policy and System Improvement Survey. Of the participants, data from 951 staff nurses working three shifts were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression to explore the predictors of nurses’ turnover intention. This study complied with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology. Results The perceived pay level satisfaction was the most obvious and persistent predictor of the intention to leave. Living benefits were shown to be scarcely satisfied, rendering considerable influence on turnover intention. Concerning aspects related to the working environment, the implementation of contract‐abiding working hours and nurse‐friendly night shift schedules reduced the turnover intention of nurses. Conclusions Nurses in small‐ and medium‐sized hospitals are likely to have particular challenges in terms of professional growth. When fundamental rewards and basic working conditions are acceptable to nurses, their turnover can be reduced, and the professional growth can also be expected. Hospitals with a high nurse turnover rate need to preferentially verify these factors perceived by their nurses and to improve to increase nurses’ retention. Relevance to clinical practice Understanding the determinants of intention to leave can lead to the development of strategies that persuade nurses to remain employed. These findings inform policymakers, nurse managers and hospital managers of the causes of nurses’ intentions to leave in small‐ and medium‐sized hospitals. Our findings also provide empirical data on the working conditions and rewards of these nurses and suggest strategies for their retention.

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to explore the predictors of turnover intention among nurses working in small and medium-sized hospitals in South Korea. Methods: Data were obtained from a survey conducted in 2016 on welfare policy and system improvement. The participants were nurses of the Korean Nurses Association who worked in small and medium-sized hospitals. The responses of 2,011 nurses were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, which was performed to explore the predictors of nurses' turnover intentions. Results: The findings of this study showed that the predictors significantly reducing nurses' desire to leave their hospitals were a 40-hour workweek, satisfaction with the salary, and six out of the 40 fringe benefits provided by their hospitals: the provision of uniforms and work shoes, paid menstrual leave, operational costs for the department, job-related educational costs, and in-house nurse training program. Conclusion: These findings suggest that hospitals should provide proper work hours and reasonable rewards for nurses' work in order to reduce turnover intention among their nurses.

Nursing educational programs should be designed for nursing students to become new graduate nurses with competencies required in clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to develop clinically sensitive generic competency standards for new graduate nurse (GCSN) from considerably experienced nurse perspective in Korea. The mixed methods sequential explanatory design was used and the 25-item GCSN was developed. The findings suggest what competencies for new graduate nurse should be emphasized and achieved.

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Purpose: We developed a virtual reality (VR) program for use in pediatric nursing practicums to help nursing students learn to measure vital signs in children.Methods: The analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model was employed between July 2021 and December 2021 at a university in South Korea. In the analysis phase, in-depth interviews were conducted with four nursing students, two nursing school graduates, and four experts. The topic and contents of the VR program were settled in the design phase. The VR program was developed and subsequently used and evaluated by 20 nursing students and four experts.Results: The contents of the VR program for pediatric nursing practicums included the measurement of vital signs in a newborn baby and a young child, as well as an evaluation system. The mean score for the nursing students' satisfaction with practice was 4.02 out of 5 points. The mean scores for overall satisfaction with the VR program were 4.15 and 4.79 out of 5 points for nursing students and experts, respectively.Conclusion: The VR program developed in this study allows nursing students to practice measuring vital signs in children, thus improving the students' clinical performance in pediatric nursing.