Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Nursing Times Research
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by McCarthy, G.
Right arrow Articles by Lehane, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Turnover rate in nursing and midwifery: The Irish experience

Geraldine McCarthy, PhD, MSc, MEd, RGN, RNT

University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork

Mark P. Tyrrell, MEd, BNS, RGN, RPN, RNT

University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork

Elaine Lehane, BSc, RGN

University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork

It became apparent in 1998 that there was a significant shortage of nurses and midwives in the Republic of Ireland. Because of the lack of data on the reasons for this, a national study was commissioned to estimate the turnover rate among registered nurses and to identify the underlying reasons for the loss of so many trained staff to the profession. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used. Participants were drawn from 128 health service agencies, and 1,921 questionnaires were completed over a one-year period by nurses and midwives leaving the service. Telephone interviews were also conducted with 140 participants. The results indicate a mean turnover rate of 12%, with considerable variations across services. Reasons for leaving included wanting to pursue other employment in nursing (35%), travel abroad (21%) and a desire to undertake further study (12%). It appeared that a considerable number of nurses would have been retained if retention strategies focusing on promotion of greater autonomy, professional development, managerial support, or improved professional practice environments had been introduced.

Key Words: Research • Turnover • Attrition • Retention strategies • Reasons for leaving • Workforce planning

Nursing Times Research, Vol. 8, No. 4, 249-263 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/136140960300800403
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?