Strategies for reducing hospital nurse turnover in South perceptions and suggestions.

Abstract

AIM\nTo explore South Korean nurses perspectives on the current hospital working conditions in order to identify causes of persistent high turnover rates among the nurses.\n\n\nBACKGROUND\nHigh turnover rates of hospital nurses continue to pose a serious challenge to South Korean healthcare system despite the government s recent efforts to improve working conditions. Many studies in the past had examined factors related to the turnover and provided only a partial understanding of turnover predictors. However, nurses perceptions on the current working conditions must be considered to explore possible causes of continued high turnover, to identify solutions, and to improve working conditions by addressing nurses concerns.\n\n\nMETHOD\nThis study is a qualitative study using focus group interviews with 33 nurses from 11 South Korean hospitals.\n\n\nRESULTS\nThree main themes and eight subthemes related to reducing hospital nurse turnover were identified.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nTo address hospitals nursing shortages in South Korea, it is important to address poor work environments.\n\n\nIMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT\nThis study showed that more transformational policies should be developed and implemented to change working conditions by reducing excessive workloads and improve how nurses are treated and viewed so as to retain existing nurses and ease the nurse turnover rates.