Nurse-physician collaboration, intention to leave job, and professional commitment among new graduate nurses

The quality of communication and collaboration with colleagues, managers, and physicians affects the intention to leave a job and the profession for new graduate nurses (NGNs). New graduates have difficulties communicating and collaborating with physicians, especially.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between the attitudes of nurse-physician collaboration and the levels of intention to leave the current job and professional commitment among NGNs.

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out with 231 NGNs in four private hospitals affiliated with an university. Data were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire, including a personal information form, the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes towards Physician-Nurse Collaboration, Intention to Leave Scale, and Nursing Professional Commitment Scale. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients.

NGNs had a high positive attitude towards nurse-physician collaboration with a median score of 49 (45-54). The professional commitment of NGNs was high level with a median score of 75 (69-86). The intention to leave the current job median score was 3 (2.3-3.6) out of 5. There was a statistically significant correlation between attitudes towards nurse-physician collaboration and the levels of intention to leave the current job (r_s  = -0.22; p < 0.01) and professional commitment (r_s  = 0.42; p < 0.01).

The results showed that improving NGNs' attitudes towards nurse-physician collaboration increases the professional commitment and reduces turnover intention.