Assessing factors associated with nurses leaving the profession: A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data

Journal article, 2025

Background: Nurse turnover is a global challenge affecting workforce stability, financial sustainability of healthcare systems, and the quality of care. Despite extensive research, a limited number of researchers have explored the actual reasons behind nurses leaving the profession as opposed to leaving their job, particularly in relation to demographic variables. Objective: We aimed to explore how demographic factors—age, sex, and work area—influenced nurses' experiences of key turnover factors, providing insights to inform tailored retention strategies. Design: Secondary cross-sectional analysis of national survey data. Setting(s): Data were collected by Statistics Sweden through a mail survey. Participants: The sample consisted of 2,860 individuals with nursing qualifications who had left the profession between 2005 and 2013 and responded to a 2016 survey. Methods: The analysis involved exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to identify and examine five latent factors contributing to nurses leaving the profession. The researchers assessed the impact of demographic variables on these factors. Results: Five primary factors were identified: compensation and fairness, psychosocial work environment, career development constraints, non-clinical workload, and support and safety. Younger nurses and those outside primary care reported greater dissatisfaction across multiple factors, while female nurses faced heightened psychosocial strain. Work area differences also influenced perceptions of support and workload. Conclusions: We have underscored the significant role of demographic variables associated with leaving the nursing profession. Tailored interventions, such as structured mentorship for younger nurses, family-supportive policies for female nurses, and workload optimization in high-stress areas, may be helpful. The results are limited by the age of the data, which predates recent healthcare shifts, emphasizing the importance of regular workforce monitoring. Registration: Not registered