The moderating effect of resilience in the relationship between traumatic event experience and turnover intention of nurses in intensive care units

Purpose: The present study utilizes a descriptive research design to investigate the moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between the experience of traumatic events and turnover intention among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.Methods: The participants were 161 hospital nurses who voluntarily agreed to participate in this study. Traumatic event experience, turnover intention, and resilience were assessed. The data were analyzed with hierarchical multiple regression using the SPSS 26.0 software program.Results: The experience of traumatic events had a statistically significant positive correlation with turnover intention (r=.17, p=.037), whereas it had a statistically significant negative correlation with turnover intention and resilience (r=-.37, p<.001). Resilience had a moderating effect on the relationship between the experience of traumatic events and turnover intention (β=-.20, p=.007).Conclusion: The results of this study found that the experience of traumatic events among ICU nurses was a significant factor in turnover intention and that resilience moderated the strength of the relationship between such experiences and turnover intention. Therefore, to prevent ICU nurses’ experience of a traumatic event from leading to their leaving nursing, it is necessary to formulate preventive measures and interventions for traumatic events, while enhancing resilience among ICU nurses.