Homecare nurses' length of conversation and intention to remain at the workplace: A multilevel analysis

To examine the relationship between homecare nurses' length of conversation with nurse managers and colleagues and intention to remain at the workplace.

Nurse turnover is an important issue. Previous studies focused on the perceived function of communication. However, we do not know the contribution of homecare nurses' actual conversations to nurse turnover prevention.

We conducted a cross-sectional study in 330 homecare nurse organisations in Japan. We recruited 2,315 homecare nurses and analysed the data of 608 nurses. We used a questionnaire to investigate participants' intention to remain.

Nearly 68% had the intention to remain. The mean length of conversation was 34 min/day with the manager and 68 min/day with colleagues. Multilevel logistic regression analysis showed that long conversations with the nurse manager (20 min and more) and colleagues (40 min and more) were significantly related to the intention to remain.

Ensuring the time of conversation with a manager and colleagues may contribute to preventing potentially avoidable nurse turnover.

Nurse managers should encourage homecare nurses to have daily conversations of 20 min or more with the nurse manager and 40 min or more with colleagues to continue working at their current workplace.