Understanding intention to leave amongst new graduate Canadian nurses: a repeated cross sectional survey

Previous studies indicate that new graduate nurses' first year of work is both stressful and difficult. The turnover rate of this group is particularly high. There is a need to increase our understanding of why new graduate nurses intend to leave their current employer.

The purpose of this study is to examine what proportion of new graduate nurses intends to leave their current position and to examine the relationship between transition programs, empowerment, work environment and intent to leave.

Survey data was collected with new graduate nurses over a 5-year period, beginning in 2004 and ending in 2008. A total of 348 new graduate nurses were surveyed in eastern Canada.

The results showed that 49.6% of the new graduate nurses did not intend to leave their current employer, whereas 4.9% were definitely planning to leave and 45.5% expressed different levels of uncertainty. Regression analysis indicated that a component of the work environment, foundations for quality nursing care, and a component of psychological empowerment, goal internalization explained, 24% of the variance of intent to leave.

This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of factors that influence intent to leave. It also supports the importance of a good working environment for the retention of new graduate nurses.