Global Prevalence of Nurse Turnover Rates: A Meta-Analysis of 21 Studies from 14 Countries

Abstract

Background. Nurses represent the largest occupational group within the health care system, comprising half of the global health workforce. Health care settings are facing severe shortages in countries worldwide, with nurse turnover being identified as the primary reason for this shortage. However, estimates of nurse turnover rates vary widely in the relevant literature. Objective. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the global nurse turnover rate since 2000 and provide evidence-based assistance to health policy makers and hospital managers. Methods. A systematic search of the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted for relevant articles from January 1, 2000, to February 1, 2023. This study included cross-sectional, cohort, and longitudinal studies. In the meta-analysis, further risk of bias, heterogeneity, and subgroup analyses were conducted. Stata 17.0 was used for all of the statistical analyses. Results. In total, 48,157 records were scrutinized in this study, and 21 investigations encompassing 213,314 nurses across 14 countries were eventually included. The global nurse turnover rate ranged between 8% and 36.6%, and the combined nurse turnover rate was 16% (95% confidence interval: 14%–17%). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the turnover rate was 19% (95% CI: 14%–23%) in Asia and 15% (95% CI: 13%–17%) in North America. Conclusions. This meta-analysis analysed the literature published from January 2020 to February 2023 and demonstrated that the global nurse turnover rate was 16%. It is suggested that all medical and health institutions actively adopt relevant systems that can reduce the turnover of nurses and promote a more harmonious, healthy, and safe occupational environment for nurses to strengthen the sustainable development capacity of the nurse workforce.