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. 2025 Feb;81(2):878-886.
doi: 10.1111/jan.16287. Epub 2024 Jun 21.

Variables that predict nurses' job stress and intention to leave during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey

Ümran Bingöl  1 , Nurcan Bilgin  2 , Aynur Çetinkaya  3 , Adalet Kutlu  4
Affiliations

Variables that predict nurses' job stress and intention to leave during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey

Ümran Bingöl et al. J Adv Nurs. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the variables predicting job stress and intention to leave the job among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.

Design: This research was designed as an analytical cross-sectional study.

Methods: The population of the study consisted of 450 nurses working in a training and research hospital (N = 450). The study sample consisted of 178 nurses who worked in that hospital between February and July 2021. The Nurse Information Form, Job Stress Scale, and Intention to Leave Scale were used as data collection tools. The independent-sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were applied for univariate analysis while multiple regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis.

Results: It was determined that the main factors predicting nurses' job stress levels were their Intention to Leave Scale scores, level of organizational satisfaction. The main factors predicting intention to leave were their Job Stress Scale scores, working conditions, and job satisfaction. A positive moderate correlation was found between job stress and intention to leave.

Conclusion: This study demostares that among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the predictors of job stress were intention to leave and organizational satisfaction, while the predictors of turnover intention included job stress, working conditions, and job satisfaction. Hospital managers, especially nursing services managers, should develop strategies for extraordinary situations such as pandemics and evaluate the professional satisfaction of nurses while providing a healthy working environment.

Patient or public contribution: No patient or public contributions.

Keywords: COVID‐19; intention to leave; job stress; nurse; nursing; pandemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.

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