Factors related to the nurses’ intention to stay in the Iranian context: A multicenter cross-sectional study

Retaining skilled nurses is paramount in providing quality nursing care for patients and thus improving their satisfaction. This study aimed to determine the intention to stay (ITS) in the profession of nurses and its related factors.

This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted on 263 nurses working in teaching hospitals affiliated with Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, from September 2020 to February 2021. Participants were selected by simple randomization. A researcher-made ITS questionnaire was used to collect data, which were then analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation via SPSS version 16.

The findings revealed that 109 participants (41.45%) of the nurses intended to stay in their profession. The total mean ± SD score of ITS for the nursing profession was 60.44±12.39 out of 100. From the participants' perspective, 5 factors of high responsibility and commitment (86.01±13.71), professional competence (77.95±13.66), feeling useful in nursing (77.79±18.23), the importance of being employed for me (74.83±20.01), and the possibility of learning skills and acquiring new information by continuing nursing (74.30±18.22) had the highest average score. There was a statistically significant relationship between ITS and the demographic variables of education level, job position, marital status, working shift, age, and the number of children of participants (P < 0.05).

The frequency of nurses with ITS in the profession is a cause of concern, sounding the alarm for the Iranian nursing system. The findings of this study could be useful for health care policymakers to increase nurses' intention to stay in the profession and, as a result, improve retention rates.