ABSTRACT
An increasing number of institutions, internationally, are requiring their faculties publish in journals with high impact factors (IF), and providing various types of rewards to motivate scholars to do so. The literature describes appropriate and inappropriate uses of such policies. Thus, this study, as part of a five country study, aimed to explore, in Thailand: (a) the extent to which institutions are requiring faculty to publish in high impact journals, and (b) how the pressure of publishing in high impact journals influences a nurse scientist’s choice of topic for investigation, and the development of nursing science. The design was qualitative, using a questionnaire designed to obtain respondent views. One senior faculty member, from each of the seven nursing doctoral programs in the country, was invited to participate; five did so. Objective responses were summarized and descriptively presented. Contentanalysis was used for narrative responses. Results indicate that faculties were expected to publish in high IF journals. The faculties stated this led to: competition instead of cooperation; and, authors wanting to publish in journals of other countries, so as to bring prestige to their institutions. However, they felt this does not contribute to resolving health problems of thecountry, and further enumerated the hurdles and positive outcomes of the policy. They said Thai scholars study health problems of the country, and frame the practical applications of their work, in terms that might be of interest to their country, as wellas to other countries. Results were discussed and interpreted in view of current realities in Thailand.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The phenomenon of nursing turnover has been explained by organizational commitment, job satisfaction, or intent to stay in previous studies; yet the combined contribution of these factors to nurse turnover has not been examined. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop and test a turnover model which included professionalism, job-related variables, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intent to stay. METHOD: A total of 424 registered nurses in a university hospital completed a self-administered questionnaire including Professionalism Scale, Job Diagnostic Survey, Nurse Assessment Survey, and intention to stay. Nurses were classified as to whether they remained in or had left the organization 18 months after the survey. Multiple regression and logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the model. RESULTS: Overall job satisfaction and intent to stay were the most important determinants of nursing turnover. Organizational commitment positively affected intent to stay and indirectly decreased turnover through intent to stay. Satisfaction with coworkers and supervisor were the most important factors in explaining overall job satisfaction. Satisfaction with pay, autonomy, and feedback from job also positively affected overall job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Using the results of the tested model nurse managers and administrators could predict turnover by monitoring its determinants, and ultimately reduce the turnover rate through early intervention.