Does nurses’ health affect their intention to remain in their current position?

Abstract

. Does nurses' health affect their intention to remain in their current position?Aim 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. Implications for nursing management 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.

Health, workforce characteristics, quality of life and intention to leave: The ‘Fit for the Future’ survey of Australian nurses and midwives

“…Well‐established tools were employed, selected or adapted from long‐running, extensively validated national and international surveys, such as Nurses and Midwives e‐Cohort Study, the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health and the Australian Health Survey. Full details of the “Fit for the Future” survey instrument and study methods have been reported (Perry et al., ).…”

“…Current primary work roles were classified as: (1) Assistants in Nursing (AINs); (2) foundational nurses (front‐line clinical staff); (3) domain specific (educators/managers/researchers); and (4) advanced practice and practitioner nurses and midwives (with an extended scope of practice). Work location was defined as metropolitan, inner regional and outer regional areas (include rural, remote and very remote areas) (Perry et al., ). Work contract was classified as full‐time or part‐time (including casual and agency) working.…”

“…The electronic survey comprised validated and reliable questions and instruments. Details of the validity and reliability of the elements comprising the survey instrument have been reported (Perry et al., ). Cronbach alpha values of 0.85 and 0.86 were reported for these PCS and MCS respectively.…”

Building expert agreement on the importance and feasibility of workplace health promotion interventions for nurses and midwives: A modified Delphi consultation

“…This consultation was the second phase of a larger study (“Fit for the Future”; Perry, Gallagher, et al., ). In phase 1, a web‐based survey investigated the health status and behaviours of over 5000 nurses and midwives in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and initial findings were presented at the introductory teleconference.…”

“…Links have been found between smoking, alcohol abuse and the stressful nature and emotional demands of the role (Cheung & Yip, ; Han et al., ; Happell et al., ). High rates of overweight and obesity have been attributed, in part, to unhealthy eating environments and ward cultures (Nicholls, Perry, Duffield, Gallagher, & Pierce, ; Perry, Gallagher, et al., ). Low rates of leisure time physical activity are reported among time‐poor nurses, particularly those shift‐working and with home‐care responsibilities (Chin, Nam, & Lee, ; Peplonska, Bukowska, & Sobala, ).…”