Job Embeddedness of Korean Clinical Nurses: A Literature Review

Abstract

Purpose: This review aimed to integrate the results of studies related to job embeddedness of clinical nurses and suggest directions for future research. Methods: A search for relevant studies was conducted using six databases according to the predetermined index terms “nurse” and “job embeddedness.” A total of 28 studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected and analyzed. Results: The definition of job embeddedness was consistent in the articles, but the terms, scope, and use of tools to determine job embeddedness were not. In addition, no article suggested a theoretical framework. In all the studies except one, the tool used to measure job embeddedness was one revised from Mitchell et al. (2001). In 15 articles, a negative correlation was found between job turnover and turnover intention. Job embeddedness was also found to be associated with nurses’ work environment, organizational citizenship behavior, and organizational commitment, and it had a positive impact on these variables. Conclusion: Job embeddedness can be used as a major variable to explain nurses’s turnover intention. Job embeddedness is multidimensional, and a theoretical framework is needed to explain the job embeddedness of clinical nurses. Tools specific to Korea should be developed to measure the job embeddedness of Korean clinical nurses.