How do intensive work environments affect nurses' absenteeism and turnover intent?

Abstract

BackgroundIntensive hospital work environments can affect staff, patient, and organizational outcomes. Purpose(1) To assess quantitatively the relationship between critical care registered nurses' perceptions of their workplace, their absenteeism, and their turnover intent; and (2) to analyze nurses' recommendations for improvements for critical patient care. MethodsFollowing STROBE guidelines, a cross-sectional survey sampled registered nurses (n = 302), across the Canadian province of Alberta, in October 2018. We assessed nurses' perceptions of their work environment relative to their absenteeism and turnover intent utilizing regression modelling and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. FindingsA negative binomial analysis indicated that RNs' positive perceptions about their workplace had significant associations with lower rates of absenteeism. Additionally, participants who scored their work environment higher were found to have decreased intentions of leaving the workplace. RNs ranked their “participation in hospital affairs” lowest when comparing practice environment domains and recommended optimizing staffing as the most important improvement for their work environment and patient care. DiscussionConsidering the demands associated with critical care patient settings, stakeholders can consider these findings that significant associations exist between nursing staffs' perceptions of the workplace relative to their absenteeism and their turnover intent. Implications for Policy: Value-based solutions are needed in optimizing these key factors, and staffs' participation in hospital affairs appears vital for organizational success.