The Impact of the Early COVID-19 Pandemic on Registered Nurses’ Intent to Stay in Nursing

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for registered nurses. Media reports, most of them anecdotal, have reported upticks in nurse resignations, and plans to resign and/or leave nursing due to COVID-19. This article reports findings from an online anonymous 95-item survey completed by about 1,600 nurses from a New York City metropolitan area health system's (HS) four hospitals and ambulatory care centers about their COVID-19 experience in the spring of 2020, their intent to stay at the HS, and their intent to stay working as a nurse. Conducted early in the pandemic, this survey addresses a major gap in the literature, as there was no timely evaluation of nurses’ intent to leave during the “Great Attrition” wave or to stay during the “Great Attraction” trend. Among those nurses completing the survey, 85.7% reported that they planned to work as a nurse one year later and 77.9% reported that they planned to work at the HS one year later. Those nurses who obtained a master’s or doctoral degree as their first professional degree in nursing, or had a high level of mastery, were less likely to report an intent to stay at the HS. Those with no children, those who thought the HS was more supportive, and those who thought that registered nurse–medical doctor relations were higher were more likely to intend to stay at the HS. Those nurses who reported worse communication with their nurse manager were less likely to report an intent to stay in nursing. Those who reported lower stress, who were unmarried and had no children were more likely to intend to work as nurses. Our findings on nurses’ intent to leave their organization and their intent to leave nursing are much lower than reports in the popular press. Our data were collected early in the pandemic and it may not reflect the accumulated stress nurses experienced from witnessing the death of so many patients.

The role of professional identity and job satisfaction in paediatric nurses' intention to remain employed amidst the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Also, Moosa et al (2016) found that the majority of nurses employed in a tertiary hospital in Maldives had reported moderate intent to stay. The survey of Yu et al (2023) that conducted in New York City metropolitan area during COVID-19 pandemic found that the majority of nurses planned to continue working as a nurse and stay at the health system 1 year later.…”

“…Conversely, the study of Abou Hashish (2017) reported that turnover intention among nurses associated with their age, working units, education, and experiences. Nurses with more education were less likely to stay at the health system (Yu et al, 2023). Recent research suggests that age is a significant factor influencing nurses' decisions to continue or leave the nursing profession during the pandemic.…”

“…It suggests that actions taken to increase job satisfaction, such as increasing working conditions, offering chances for professional growth, and recognizing nurses' accomplishments, may have a favourable impact on nurses' desire to remain in their current positions. When nurses received assistance and had good communication skills with their managers, more of them stayed in the field (Yu et al, 2023). Job satisfaction is vital for determining whether nurses will continue in their current position, as it represents their overall assessment of their working environment, benefits, and career prospects (Lu et al, 2019).…”