Reasons why Dutch novice nurses leave nursing: A qualitative approach

• Published in: Nurse education in practice Vol. 47; p. 102848
• Main Authors: Kox, J.H.A.M., Groenewoud, J.H., Bakker, E.J.M., Bierma-Zeinstra, S.M.A., Runhaar, J., Miedema, H.S., Roelofs, P.D.D.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scotland Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2020; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Ambition; Attrition; Capacity building approach; Career Change; Careers; Colleagues; Data analysis; Data collection; Dropout; Dropout Rate; Ethics; Focus Groups; Graduation; Health care; Humans; Imbalance; Interviews; Job satisfaction; Netherlands; Novice nurses; Novices; Nurses; Nurses - psychology; Nursing; Patients; Personal development; Personnel Turnover - statistics & numerical data; Professional turnover; Qualitative Research; Quality of care; Recruitment; Research Design; School dropouts; Semi Structured Interviews; Shortages; Social networks; Structured Interviews; Suffering; Supervisors; Thematic analysis; Transcripts (Written Records); Work environment; Netherlands; New Zealand; Novice nurses; Attrition; Thematic analysis; Professional turnover; Dropout
• ISSN: 1471-5953; 1873-5223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102848

Shortages in the nursing profession are increasing. It is, therefore, imperative to understand why novice nurses are leaving the profession. This qualitative study explores Dutch novice nurses’ motives for leaving the profession. Individual semi-structured interviews were held with seventeen former novice nurses who had decided to leave nursing within two years after graduation. Data was collected and analysed following the principles of Thematic Analysis, leading to six themes; 1) Lack of challenge; ambitious to progress further in management or research roles. 2) Lack of passion; no feeling of passion for patient care. 3) Lack of perceived competence; not feeling “up to the challenge”. 4) Lack of job satisfaction due to heavy workload; work-life imbalance and inability to deliver high-quality care. 5) Lack of work capacity due to non-work-related health conditions; unmet requirements for job or work environment adjustment. 6) Lack of feeling of belonging; suffering from a negative attitude of colleagues to one another. To prevent novice nurse professional turnover, measures such as capacity building, supervisor support and a tailored personal development plan could be taken. To make novice nurses feel safe and reassured, support from colleagues and supervisors is important. Such measures require thoughtful implementation and evaluation. •This study addresses reasons for professional turnover of Dutch novice nurses.•Six core themes emerged as motives for leaving the profession in novice nurses.•No single motive for leaving the profession dominates.•To retain novice nurses, supervisor support and personal development are important.