Organizational climate and nurses' turnover intention: a mixed method study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Studies
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Understanding nurses' perceptions of organizational climate is crucial for retention.
• High nurse turnover impacts patient care quality and healthcare system costs.
• Identifying factors influencing turnover intention is essential for effective human resource strategies in hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the organizational climate perceived by nurses in a Brazilian Hospital Services Company.
• To identify the primary reasons behind nurses' intention to leave their positions.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach using concomitant triangulation was employed.
• Qualitative data were analyzed using the discourse of the collective subject.
• Quantitative data involved descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression with 116 nurses.

Main Results:

• Five categories emerged: Leadership/support, Reward, Physical comfort, Control/pressure, and Cohesion.
• Increased reward was associated with decreased turnover intention.
• Decreased physical comfort correlated with increased turnover intention.

Conclusions:

• A dichotomy exists in nurses' perceived organizational climate.
• Personal reasons, potentially exacerbated by institutional reorganization and hiring practices, significantly drive turnover intention.
• Addressing reward and physical comfort may mitigate nurse turnover.