Retention Management of Nurses: A Case of University Hospital in Japan

Abstract

Retention management is a human resource strategy designed to improve job satisfaction and to reduce voluntary employee turnover by PDCA cycle of benefit programs and work-life balance. This study aimed to ascertain job satisfaction and intention to continue working among nurses, and to determine how their job satisfaction relate to the intention to continue working as nurses. As research methods, a paper-based survey was conducted at a university hospital located in the metropolitan area. The survey consisted of a face sheet and questions to assess the degree of respondents’ job satisfaction and intention to continue working as nurse. It was distributed to 692 registered nurses employed on a permanent basis at a university hospital. As results, valid responses were obtained from 661 nurses (620 females and 41 males) with a mean age of 29.9 years (SD = 8.0) (valid response rate: 95.5%). A high rate of job satisfaction was identified with items such as communication with colleagues, a sense of pride in being a nurse, enjoyment from contact with patients, instructions from superiors, the frequency of nightshifts, working with superiors and colleagues who can be respected, one’s salary and the workplace climate. However, a low rate of job satisfaction was identified with factors such as trust from doctors, their own vital role, appropriate number of nursing staff, the clinical ladder, work outside of nursing duties, break rooms and hospital facilities, break times, and the amount of overtime. Looking at the degree of the intention to continue working, the highest rate was seen in those with more than 5 years’ experience, and the lowest rate was those with 1 year or more to less than 3 years’ experience. As a consideration, the result of the analyses indicated that such satisfactory factors as a sense of pride in being a nurse and recognition as a nurse contributed to increase the pleasure of nursing practice and the intention of working. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully consider “recognition” as a key factor that influence retention management of nurses.