A Qualitative Phenomenological Study on Nurse Retention in Acute Care: What Makes an Early to Mid-Career Nurse Want to Stay in their Role and Institution?

Abstract

The objective of this national qualitative phenomenological study was to construct a nurse-centered understanding of the personal, unit, and organizational factors that contribute to nurses’ intentions to remain or leave their institutions in a post-COVID-19 healthcare environment. Eleven early- to mid-career registered nurses from urban and rural-serving hospital settings across the United States participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Analysis revealed the following themes: Sense of Purpose and Fulfillment, Relationships and Teamwork, Work-life Balance, Compensation and Resources, Communication, Retention, Nurse Resilience, and Organizational Commitment. Retaining early to mid-career acute care nurses necessitates a multi-faceted approach that transcends beyond financial incentives and calls for strategies centered on effective bi-directional communication, relationship-building, meaningful work aligned with personal values, flexible scheduling, and genuine systemic organizational support. Examining nurse retention from a multi-tiered approach not only captures the complexity of retention but is essential since nurse turnover is not caused by a single factor—it is the result of interconnected influences and interactions at the personal, unit, and organizational / system levels.