Nurses who work outside nursing

Duffield, C; O'Brien Pallas, L; Aitken, LM

Nurses who work outside nursing

Duffield, C

O'Brien Pallas, L Aitken, LM

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2004, 47 (6), pp. 664 - 671
Issue Date:: 2004-09-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Duffield, C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6534-8743	en_US
dc.contributor.author	O'Brien Pallas, L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Aitken, LM	en_US
dc.date.issued	2004-09-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2004, 47 (6), pp. 664 - 671	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0309-2402	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/4712
dc.description.abstract	Background. The desire to care for people, a family history of professional health care work, and security in career choice are documented reasons for entering nursing. Reasons for leaving include workload, unsafe work environments and harassment. The relationship between these factors and the time nurses spend in the profession has not been explored. Aim. This paper reports a study with people who have left nursing, to investigate why they became a nurse, how long they stayed in nursing, and their reasons for leaving. Method. A questionnaire was mailed to Registered Nurses currently working outside nursing, seeking respondents' reasons for entering and leaving nursing, and perceptions of the skills gained from nursing and the ease of adjustment to working in a non-nursing environment. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, correlational analysis and linear and multiple regression analysis. Results. A model incorporating the factors 'altruistic reasons', 'default choice' and 'stepping stone' explained 36-2% of the variance in reasons for becoming a nurse. A model incorporating the factors 'legal and employer', 'external values and beliefs about nursing', 'professional practice', 'work life/home life' and 'contract requirements' explained 55.4% of the variance in reasons for leaving nursing. Forty-eight per cent of the variance in tenure in nursing practice was explained through personal characteristics of nurses (36%), reasons for becoming a nurse (7%) and reasons for leaving (6%). Conclusion. The reasons why nurses entered or left the profession were varied and complex. While personal characteristics accounted for a large component of tenure in nursing, those managing the nursing workforce should consider professional practice issues and the balance between work life and home life.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Advanced Nursing	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03155.x	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Nursing	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Questionnaires	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Attitude of Health Personnel	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Career Choice	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Job Satisfaction	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Career Mobility	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Nursing Staff	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Personnel Turnover	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Surveys and Questionnaires	en_US
dc.title	Nurses who work outside nursing	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	6	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	47	en_US
utslib.for	1110 Nursing	en_US
dc.location.activity	Cairns, Australia
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Nursing
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	6	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	47	en_US

Abstract:

Background. The desire to care for people, a family history of professional health care work, and security in career choice are documented reasons for entering nursing. Reasons for leaving include workload, unsafe work environments and harassment. The relationship between these factors and the time nurses spend in the profession has not been explored. Aim. This paper reports a study with people who have left nursing, to investigate why they became a nurse, how long they stayed in nursing, and their reasons for leaving. Method. A questionnaire was mailed to Registered Nurses currently working outside nursing, seeking respondents' reasons for entering and leaving nursing, and perceptions of the skills gained from nursing and the ease of adjustment to working in a non-nursing environment. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, correlational analysis and linear and multiple regression analysis. Results. A model incorporating the factors 'altruistic reasons', 'default choice' and 'stepping stone' explained 36-2% of the variance in reasons for becoming a nurse. A model incorporating the factors 'legal and employer', 'external values and beliefs about nursing', 'professional practice', 'work life/home life' and 'contract requirements' explained 55.4% of the variance in reasons for leaving nursing. Forty-eight per cent of the variance in tenure in nursing practice was explained through personal characteristics of nurses (36%), reasons for becoming a nurse (7%) and reasons for leaving (6%). Conclusion. The reasons why nurses entered or left the profession were varied and complex. While personal characteristics accounted for a large component of tenure in nursing, those managing the nursing workforce should consider professional practice issues and the balance between work life and home life.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/4712