Turnover and Intention to Leave Among Belgian Healthcare Workers After COVID-19: A Two-Year Longitudinal Cohort Study

IF 3.4 3区医学 Q1 NURSING Journal of Advanced Nursing Pub Date : 2025-03-26 DOI:10.1111/jan.16925

Filip Haegdorens, Stijn Slootmans, Senne Vleminckx, Peter Van Bogaert, Erik Franck

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aim

To investigate the association between healthcare workers' demographic and work-environment variables during the COVID-19 pandemic and their turnover intentions or actual turnover after two years.

Design

Two-step longitudinal cohort study.

Methods

A nationwide longitudinal cohort study was conducted using a convenience sample of Belgian HCWs who participated in online surveys at two time points: November 24th, 2021, to March 15th, 2022 (Period 1), and November 16th, 2023, to December 12th, 2023 (Period 2).

Results

Out of 2149 participants in the first survey, 700 responded in the second. During the pandemic, 31.3% intended to leave the profession. In Period 2, 52.3% of those reaffirmed their intention or had left (6.5%). Work autonomy, resilience, and perceived patient harm predicted turnover intention. Pandemic-related work pressure was the primary reason for leaving.

Conclusion

Promoting healthcare workers' autonomy and resilience is crucial for mitigating turnover. HCWs who experience patient harm during a pandemic will have a higher risk for turnover. Knowing this, healthcare managers and policymakers should develop strategies to prepare for future health crises.

Implications for the Profession and Patient Care

Enhancing work autonomy and resilience among healthcare workers can improve retention and job satisfaction, ultimately leading to better patient care and a more stable healthcare workforce.

Impact

Problem Addressed: The study addresses the high turnover intentions among healthcare workers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Findings: Work autonomy, resilience, and perceived patient harm due to workload are significant predictors of turnover intentions.

Impact: The research impacts healthcare managers and policymakers by providing insights into factors that can improve healthcare workers' retention and job satisfaction.

Reporting Method

This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines for reporting observational studies.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

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来源期刊

Journal of Advanced Nursing 医学-护理

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

7.90%

发文量

369

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of Advanced Nursing (JAN) contributes to the advancement of evidence-based nursing, midwifery and healthcare by disseminating high quality research and scholarship of contemporary relevance and with potential to advance knowledge for practice, education, management or policy. All JAN papers are required to have a sound scientific, evidential, theoretical or philosophical base and to be critical, questioning and scholarly in approach. As an international journal, JAN promotes diversity of research and scholarship in terms of culture, paradigm and healthcare context. For JAN’s worldwide readership, authors are expected to make clear the wider international relevance of their work and to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural considerations and differences.