Identifying factors associated with UK veterinary nurse resignations through examination of veterinary practice data

This study aimed to identify demographic, practice and job-specific factors that are associated with veterinary nurses resigning from UK companion animal veterinary practices.

Employment data from nurses working across a group of practices at the end of 2020 were included. Nurses were categorised into those who remained at, or resigned from, their practice in 2021. Proposed risk factors for future resignations were analysed using multivariable binary logistic regression modelling.

In total, 278 of 1642 (16.9%) nurses across 418 practices resigned in 2021. The most frequently recorded reasons for nurses resigning included 'career progression' (n = 102; 36.7%), 'personal reasons' (n = 36; 12.9%) and 'better pay or benefits' (n = 33; 11.9%). Factors associated with lower odds of future nurse resignations included longer tenure (p < 0.001), higher practice property and facilities rating (p = 0.049) and being a head or student nurse (p = 0.008).

Data were collected retrospectively and were not recorded for research purposes.

This study highlights key factors that are predictive of veterinary nurse resignations. With known difficulties in staff retention within veterinary practices, analysis of these data is an important addition to the evidence base surrounding the complex issue of nurse retention and could help steer future retention strategies.