Lack of professional latitude and role problems as correlates of propensity to quit amongst nursing staff

Abstract

Which job stressors are the best predictors of propensity to quit among the nursing staff in emergency wards and intensive care units are explored in this paper. Employees of 30 Quebec hospitals (i.e. 60 wards in total) participated in the study (n = 1237). Stepwise multiple regression revealed that lack of professional latitude and role problems are the best predictors of the intention to quit the organization among all nursing staff. These two job stressors are briefly addressed in the context of intervention and possible remedies aiming at improving quality of life, mental health and decreasing the rate of turnover. It is argued that such intervention would benefit the nurses, the quality of patient care, as well as the respective hospitals.