An investigation of the factors related to the intention of nurses to leave their profession: based on a survey of nurses working in palliative care units

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among the intention of palliative care nurses to leave their profession and work-life balance, organizational climate, and health status with the objective of exploring the factors that prompt nurses to leave their profession. A cross-sectional survey of 105 palliative care unit nurses working in 7 facilities in prefecture A was conducted using an anonymous, self-completed questionnaire between March and April 2010. Data on eighty-three respondents (response rate, 79.0%) were used. The results were analyzed using a multiple regression analysis with ‘intention to leave profession’ as the dependent variable. The results of the analysis revealed that the organizational climate, the evaluation scores for work and life, and the degree of fatigue were significantly related to the intention of nurses to leave their profession. These results suggest that to reduce the intentions of nurses to leave their profession, improving autonomy within organizational climates and reducing fatigue and low estimates of work-life balance are important. Palliat Care Res 2011; 6(1) 126-132