TURNOVER INTENTIONS AMONG PHYSICIANS AND NURSES IN KAZAKHSTAN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY...

In the context of a shortage of medical personnel, we aimed to assess the impact of factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic that influenced the intention to resign from work.

This was a cross-sectional survey involving 206 healthcare workers, including 89 doctors (42 with up to 5 years of experience and 47 with more than 5 years of experience) and 117 nurses (57 with up to 5 years of experience and 60 with more than 5 years), working in four outpatient clinics in Almaty. All participants provided informed consent and completed the authors' questionnaire titled "Reasons for Healthcare Workforce Attrition During the COVID-19 Pandemic."

The following factors showed a direct correlation with the intention to resign: high stress levels, unauthorized patient complaints against healthcare workers, emotional burnout, threats and verbal abuse from patients, increased workload and overtime, dissatisfaction with legal protection, inadequate preparation for medical practice during education, lack of social support from friends and family, working with seriously ill patients, insufficient provision of protective equipment during the pandemic, and fear of infecting loved ones. Age and work experience showed inverse correlations with the intention to resign.

Legislative changes to protect the rights of healthcare workers, managerial support, socio-psychological assistance for young professionals, and preparing them for potential conflicts and legal proceedings are essential to prevent healthcare workforce attrition.