Occupational stress and turnover intention: A qualitative study reporting the experiences of nurses working in oncology settings in Jordan

Background: Nurses suffer from psychological stress at twice the rate of other professions. Oncology nurses face additional work-related stressors because of the nature of the disease, complex treatment, and constant encounters with suffering and dying patients and their families. International reports have correlated stress with turnover among these nurses; however, clinical settings in Jordan have reported a high turnover rate among oncology nurses that remains unexplored. Aim: To explore the impact of occupational stress on turnover among oncology nurses. Methods: This qualitative study involved 24 purposively selected nurses from the oncology department of a large governmental hospital in Amman, Jordan. Data were collected in semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes were extracted: Swimming through an ocean of psychological distress; Living in two overlapping worlds; Giving up the fight and leaving for a less stressful workplace; and Doubts about cancer treatments. Conclusion: This study indicated that oncology nurses' working environment is highly stressful and negatively impacts nurses' well-being. Policymakers and nursing managers need to consider this situation and develop interventions to improve oncology nurses' psychological health to ensure the stability of the workforce and the quality of services provided.