Factors influencing satisfaction and anticipated turnover for nurses in anacademic medical center

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships betw een work satisfaction, stress, age, cohesion, work-schedule, and anticipate d turnover in an academic medical center. Background Data: Nurse turnover is a costly problem that will continue as h ealthcare faces the impending nursing shortage, a new generation of nurses enter the workforce and incentives provided to nurses to work for instituti ons increase. A variety of factors influence the retention of nurses in adu lt care settings, including work satisfaction, group cohesion, job stress, and work schedule. In general, previous research has documented positive re lationships between work satisfaction, group cohesion, strong leadership, a nd retention rates and a negative relationship between stress, work schedul e, and retention. In addition, age and experience in nursing are related to job satisfaction. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional survey design in which nurses fr om 12 units in a 908-bed university hospital in the Southeast completed que stionnaires on one occasion. The following factors were measured using self -report questionnaires: nurse perception of job stress, work satisfaction, group cohesion, and anticipated turnover. Results: The more job stress, the lower group cohesion, the lower work sati sfaction, and the higher the anticipated turnover. The higher the work sati sfaction, the higher group cohesion and the lower anticipated turnover. The more stable the work schedule, the less work-related stress, the lower ant icipated turnover, the higher group cohesion, and the higher work satisfact ion. Job stress, work satisfaction, group cohesion, and weekend overtime we re all predictors of anticipated turnover. There are differences in the fac tors predicting anticipated turnover for different age groups. Conclusions: As healthcare institutions face a nursing shortage and a new g eneration of nurses enter the workforce, consideration of the factors that influence turnover is essential to creating a working environment that reta ins the nurse.