Reasons for leaving nursing: a study among Turkish nurses

Reasons for the growing nursing shortage are often complex and multidimensional.

To explore the phenomenon of why Turkish nurses leave nursing.

The sample in this descriptive study was 134 nurses who had left the profession. A snowball sampling method was used to identify subjects and multiple methods were used to elicit reasons for leaving. Data analysis included descriptive statistics.

The main reasons for leaving nursing were related to unsatisfactory working conditions and a negative perception of nursing. Of the respondents, 69.4% received education in a non-nursing field. The most popular career choice was teaching (27.6%). The results of this study indicate that working conditions and public opinion adversely affect a nurse's interest in the profession.

The results of the study indicate a need to improve working conditions and to approach this subject from a multidimensional perspective.