From organisational justice to turnover intention among community nurses: A mediating model

To identify the situation of organisational justice, organisational support, work engagement and turnover intention among community nurses and clarify the relationship among them.

Nurse shortage has become a worldwide issue, and the shortage of community nurses is more serious. Nurse turnover is one important factor for this situation. While previous studies about turnover intention mostly focused on hospital nurses, few involved community nurses.

A descriptive, cross-sectional design was adopted.

Questionnaire investigation was implemented among 410 community nurses to collect data about organisational justice, organisational support, work engagement and turnover intention. Structural equation modelling was applied to test the hypothesised model. The STROBE statement for observational studies was followed.

Results showed the average score of turnover intention was 2.50 ± 0.75. The final model indicated: (a) work engagement had a direct negative effect on turnover intention; (b) organisational support had both direct and indirect effects on turnover intention, and the indirect effect was mediated by work engagement; and (c) organisational justice had an indirect effect on turnover intention mediated by organisational support.

Turnover intention could be reduced directly or indirectly by improving work engagement, organisational support and organisational justice.

This study provides evidence for community health centre managers and policymakers to improve the level of nurses' engagement and to retain more nurses in primary healthcare service.