Reasons for leaving nursing: A study among Turkish nurses

Gok A. U., Kocaman G.

CONTEMPORARY NURSE, cilt.39, sa.1, ss.65-74, 2011 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 39 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2011
  • Doi Numarası: 10.5172/conu.2011.39.1.65
  • Dergi Adı: CONTEMPORARY NURSE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.65-74
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: leaving the profession, nursing, nurse retention, reasons for leaving
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: Reasons for the growing nursing shortage are often complex and multidimensional. Aim: To explore the phenomenon of why Turkish nurses leave nursing. Methods: The sample in this descriptive study was 134 nurses who had left the profession. A snowball sampling method was used to identify subjects and multiple methods were used to elicit reasons for leaving. Data analysis included descriptive statistics. Results: The main reasons for leaving nursing were related to unsatisfactory working conditions and a negative perception of nursing. Of the respondents, 69.4% received education in a non-nursing field. The most popular career choice was teaching (27.6%). The results of this study indicate that working conditions and public opinion adversely affect a nurse's interest in the profession. Conclusions: The results of the study indicate a need to improve working conditions and to approach this subject from a multidimensional perspective.