Background: Many nurses are leaving for various
destinations and leaving intention was found to be the
immediate precursor for actual turnover, but studies
examining the different forms of leaving intention (unit,
hospital, country, and profession) and exit destinations
are scarce.
Objectives: To determine the different forms of nurses’
leaving intention (i.e., leaving the unit, hospital, country,
and profession), exit destinations and associations of
demographic variables on the different forms of leaving
intention and exit destinations.
Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional survey.
Private hospital nurses in the Peninsular Malaysia were
the study population and a total of 942 (73% response
rate) nurses participated in the study. A self-reported
questionnaire was used for data collection.
Results: The results revealed that intention of leaving
the organisation (M = 2.81, SD = 1.33) was the
highest and followed by intention of leaving the unit
(M = 2.54, SD = 1.31). In terms of exit destinations,
advancing nursing qualification (M = 2.95, SD = 1.31)
and practising nursing in another country (M = 2.55,
SD = 1.31) were the most preferred exit destinations
among the nurses.
Conclusions: Nursing managers play a significant role in
retaining nurses within the units and organisations. The
findings on nurses’ exit destinations are crucial because
they serve as the direction for nurses’ retention strategies
which include professional development opportunities
through training, education and staff mobility.
Background: The escalating rate of private hospital
nurses leaving their workplace raised serious concern
among the stakeholders. Past studies had found that
nursing practice environment was the key influence
on nurses’ leaving intention, but studies examining
the quality of nursing practice environment of private
hospital settings was scarce and therefore warrant
investigation to provide direction for interventions in
addressing nursing turnover.
Objectives: To determine nurses’ perceptions towards
nursing practice environment and whether there is
any significant associations with nurses’ demographic
variables.
Methods: Cross-sectional inferential survey study was
conducted at four private hospitals in the Peninsular
Malaysia using the Practice Environment Scale of
the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) and 885 nurses
participated in the study.
Results: Nurses rated their practice environment as
favourable. However, items stated in “staffing and
resource adequacy” subscale warrant serious attention
because nurses rated poorly on item related to “enough
staff to get the work done” (M = 2.37, SD = .81) and
“enough registered nurses to provide quality patient
care” (M = 2.41, SD = .82). Furthermore, t-test analyses
found that nurses with educational sponsorship bond
(p < .001), higher educational qualifications (p < .05),
and have been working in the hospital since graduation
(p < .001) were more likely to rate their practice
environment lower.
Conclusion: Hospital administrators play significant
role in sustaining and creating positive nursing practice
environment in order to ensure steady supply of nurses
to meet the challenging healthcare needs.