The intention to continue nursing: work variables affecting three nurse generations in Australia

Area of Science:

• Nursing workforce studies
• Organizational psychology
• Human resource management

Background:

• Critical shortage of trained nurses in Australia and OECD countries.
• Traditional management perspectives on nurse retention are insufficient.
• This study applies the Meaning of Working theory to nurse retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine seven variables impacting hospital nurses' intention to continue in their profession.
• Investigate generational differences in the impact of these variables on nurse retention.

Main Methods:

• Self-report survey conducted in 2008 with 900 hospital nurses across four Australian states.
• Sample included three generational cohorts: Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y.
• Analysis focused on factors influencing intention to remain in the nursing profession.

Main Results:

• Six variables influenced overall nurse retention intention: work-family conflict, autonomy, attachment to work, perceived importance of work, supervisor-subordinate relationships, and interpersonal relationships.
• Generational differences were observed in influencing variables.
• Attachment to work was the sole common factor across all three generations, with the strongest effect on Generation Y.

Conclusions:

• Rethinking nurse shortages through a new conceptualization may yield innovative solutions.
• Varied results across generations necessitate tailored retention strategies for Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y.
• Findings offer implications for management and policy planning in healthcare.