A study on the intent to leave and stay among hospital nurses in Korea: A cross-sectional survey

Aims To investigate the intent to leave or stay among Korean hospital nurses, and to identify what factors influence their intent to leave or stay. Background Previous studies have simply measured nurses' intent to leave or stay; however, this study examines the associations of intent to leave and intent to stay with influential factors among Korean hospital nurses. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 267 nurses working at four general hospitals in South Korea. Result The influencing factors on intent to leave were organisational commitment, practice environment and burnout, while intent to stay was influenced by organisational commitment. Conclusion The study demonstrates that, for Korean hospital nurses, intent to leave and intent to stay are not simply contrary concepts, but are different concepts influenced by varying factors. Implications for Nursing Management This study clarifies the difference between the concepts of intent to stay and intent to leave, and demonstrates that the variables affecting Korean nurses' intent to stay and intent to leave differ from each other. Therefore, focusing on improving nurses' intent to either leave or stay would be effective when developing personnel management policies for nurses, thereby contributing to enhancing nursing practice.