The Relationship between Job Stress and Turnover Intention and Early Retirement among Nurses: Investigating the Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

Abstract

Background and Objective: Job stress is an interactive situation between the job situation and the person having that job. In the effort-reward imbalance model, which is a method for measuring job stress, the imbalanced relationship between the invested efforts and the rewards received causes stressful reactions in employees, which in the long term causes physical and mental damage to the person. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between job stress and the intention to turnover and early retirement by investigating the mediating role of job satisfaction among nurses. Materials and Methods: This correlational study was conducted in 2017 through field methods and questionnaires. The study sample consisted of 455 nurses working in the governmental hospitals of Hamedan, Iran. Data collection tools included four self-report questionnaires, including job stress, intention to turnover, early retirement, and job satisfaction. Finally, after data collection, SPSS software (version 18) and AMOS23 were used for data analysis. Results: Based on the findings of the present research, a significant negative relationship was observed between effort-reward imbalance with job satisfaction and a significant positive relationship with the intention to turnover. However, no significant relationship was found between effort-reward imbalance and the intention to retire early. Additionally, although a significant negative relationship was seen between job stress and job satisfaction, there was no significant relationship between this variable and the intention to turnover the job and the intention to retire early. Conclusion: According to the obtained results, the variables used in this research, especially the variables with a mediating role, should be considered in organizational planning and policy makings to reduce occupational diseases and enhance employees’ health.