Influence of Work Motivation, Work Environment and Job Satisfaction on Turnover Intention of Croatian Nurses: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine, identify and describe the factors that influence the turnover intention of nurses in Croatia. Methods: A qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was conducted in June 2018. The participants were 20 registered nurses working full time who were employed in different cities in the Republic of Croatia, working in different healthcare institutions and in different medical fields. The data were obtained from interviews and were analysed and interpreted using the content analysis method. Results: During data analysis, four main ideas emerged as follows: job satisfaction, work motivation, psychological factors (individual) and structural factors – work environment. Job satisfaction has been identified as a key factor with direct impact in nurses' turnover intention. Work motivation, psychological factors (individual) and structural factors – work environment does not have a direct influence on the nurses' intention to leave their job, but they have a significant indirect impact through job satisfaction. Conclusion: Recognizing nursing challenges in the healthcare system and the factors which influence the intention of nurses to leave their workplace can help with the development of a clear strategy and retention measures based on the factors that influence the nurses’ turnover intention.

Keywords

• job satisfaction
• motivation
• turnover
• qualitative research
• nurses