Nurses enrolled in school or who held graduate degrees were more likely to leave their roles than other nurses, according to a new study.
The study, published June 5 in Health Affairs Scholar, analyzed the latest National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses data to find the drivers of actual and self-reported turnover among 8,953 front-line registered nurses.
Here are six study findings.
1. The national turnover rate was 28.7%.
2. Nurses dissatisfied with their job were more than 2.5 times more likely to turnover.
3. Associate degree and BSN nurses had virtually identical turnover odds, while nurses with an MSN, DNP or PhD had 55% higher odds of turnover than BSN nurses. Among nurses who left, 8.7% held graduate degrees.
4. Nurses enrolled in a degree program were 84% more likely to turn over, which study authors attributed to the incompatibility of rigid work schedules with academic demands, as well as the career mobility an advanced degree provides.
5. Participating in a labor union or collective bargaining was associated with lower likelihood of turnover.
6. Top predictors of nurse turnover included job dissatisfaction, holding a secondary position, degree program enrollment, holding a graduate degree and burnout.
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