Quality of work life as a predictor of nurses' intention to leave units, organisations and the profession

Abstract

Aim: To examine the relationships between quality of work life (QWL) and nurses' intention to leave their unit (ITLunit), organisation (ITLorg) and profession (ITLpro).

Background: The high turnover rate among nurses presents a major challenge to health care systems across the globe. QWL plays a significant role in nurses' turnover.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was conducted via purposive sampling of 1283 hospital nurses and administering the Chinese version of the Quality of Nursing Work Life scale (C-QNWL), a three-ITL-type scale questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire for individual- and work-related variables. Descriptive data, correlations, and ordinal regression models were analyzed.

Results: QWL predicted ITLpro and ITLorg better than ITLunit. Three QWL dimensions (work arrangement and workload, nursing staffing and patient care, and work-home life balance) were significantly predictive of all three ITL measures. However, the dimension of teamwork and communication was only predictive for ITLunit, not for ITLorg and ITLpro.

Conclusions: Different patterns of QWL dimensions are predictive of ITLunit, ITLorg, and ITLpro.

Implications for nursing management: The study provides important information to nurse administrators about the aspects of QWL that most commonly lead nurses to leave their units, organisations, and even the profession itself.

Keywords: intention to leave the organisation; intention to leave the profession; intention to leave the unit; nursing profession; nursing work environment; quality of work life.