An explanation of turnover intention among early-career nursing and allied health professionals working in rural and remote Australia – findings from a grounded theory study

Abstract

The study offers a holistic explanation of life factors influencing the turnover intention of early-career health professionals working in public health services in rural NSW. These findings and the turnover intention risk matrix are thought to be suitable for use by Australian public health services and governments, as well as in other highly industrialised countries, to assist in the development of policies and strategies tailored for individual health professionals' work-experience level and life stage. By adopting such a whole-of-person approach, health services and governments will be better positioned to address the life aspirations of rural-based, early-career health professionals and this is likely to assist in the reduction of avoidable turnover.

Does Tailor Different Educational Programs for Different Groups Might Improve Acceptance by Nursing Staff?

“…Such ndings are also in accordance with previously reported studies in the literature [22]. Sociocultural factors associated with the role of experienced workers in society may also play a role in enhancing the job retention of nurses [23]. Older nurses generally also display higher levels of job commitment [24].…”

<p>The Rural Pharmacy Practice Landscape: Challenges and Motivators</p>

“…10,15,16 This maldistribution has been well documented in the past, in the fields of medicine, nursing, and allied health disciplines as well as pharmacy. 4, [16][17][18][19] High rates of turnover, a lack of staff, and reliance on the recruitment of short-term locums not only has a high financial cost, but may lead to safety risks to staff and patients and a lower quality of healthcare provision. 5,[20][21][22][23] In pharmacy, this may include limited medication management services and reduced access to services.…”

“…22 Rural and remote health professionals tend to have a higher workload than their regional and metropolitan counterparts, which can be exacerbated by short staffing, difficulty accessing locums, a wider range of duties, and being a sole pharmacist. 1,9,10,19,26 Despite this, rural and remote pharmacists have often reported to have a better lifestyle or quality of life than their metropolitan counterparts, and job satisfaction is generally high. 1,10,18,25,26 Additionally, 50% of participants in this study have worked rurally for over 15 years, demonstrating a long-term commitment to rural pharmacy.…”

“…Lack of access to professional development opportunities and conferences are not uncommon to the rural and remote pharmacy workforce. 9,10,17,19,25 Geographical distance, cost of travel and accommodation, and inability to replace pharmacy staff on leave are factors that may interfere with the ability to attend educational training and conferences. 18 However, pharmacists generally view rural practice positively, particularly enjoying the challenges of an expanded scope of practice and working as part of a multidisciplinary team.…”

“…1,9,10 Feelings of belongingness and "sense of community" are also important to rural and remote pharmacists, and may increase retention. 1,16,19,26 Having a rural background is known to be associated with willingness to live and work rurally. 1,10,26,27 Of the twelve participants of this study, seven were of rural origin, and five of these had spent over 15 years working in rural pharmacy, which supports this association.…”