How Humor Use by Nurse Supervisors, Reduced Time Pressure, and Years in the Profession Jointly Reduce Nurse Turnover...

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Organizational Psychology
• Workplace Stress Management

Background:

• Nurses face significant workplace stressors leading to negative outcomes like burnout and turnover.
• Supervisor humor is recognized for fostering team cohesion and reducing burnout, but its specific impact on turnover intention remains under-explored.
• Understanding the interplay of supervisor humor, time pressure, and professional experience is crucial for retaining nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the combined effects of nurse supervisor humor, reduced time pressure, and professional experience on nurse turnover intention.
• To determine the moderating role of supervisor humor in the relationship between professional experience and turnover intention.
• To identify specific conditions under which supervisor humor can effectively reduce nurses' intention to leave their jobs.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study conducted in a Taiwanese medical center (October-November 2023).
• Survey data collected from 534 registered nurses using proportionate random sampling.
• Regression analyses employed to test the proposed model, adhering to STROBE guidelines.

Main Results:

• Supervisor humor demonstrated a significant negative relationship with nurses' turnover intention.
• Supervisor humor acted as a significant moderator, mitigating the positive association between years in the profession and turnover intention.
• The positive impact of supervisor humor on reducing turnover intention was particularly pronounced among novice nurses.

Conclusions:

• Supervisor humor is an effective strategy for reducing nurse turnover intention, particularly among nurses with fewer years of experience.
• The findings highlight the importance of supervisor humor in creating a supportive work environment that can help retain nursing staff.
• Nursing policymakers should consider training programs to enhance supervisors' humor utilization skills to support workforce stability.