The relationship between work‐family enrichment and nurse turnover

Abstract

Purpose

The central aim of this paper is to test a model in which work‐family enrichment is associated with lower levels of professional turnover through higher levels of job satisfaction and professional commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

The bootstrap procedure for estimating indirect correlations in multiple mediator models was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings show that nurses experiencing high levels of work‐family enrichment are likely to report lower intentions to leave their profession by virtue of their higher levels of professional commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The research relies on a cross‐sectional design with a single source of data.

Practical implications

The research suggests that management should foster work‐family enrichment since this appears to be linked to decreased turnover intentions.

Social implications

There is a shortage of nurses in Italy and many other countries, which has negative consequences for high‐quality nursing care and costs of the healthcare system, and the results of the present study suggest ways in which nurse retention could be improved.

Originality/value

This study contributes to work‐family literature by addressing the relationship between work‐family enrichment and professional‐related outcomes.

Citation

Russo, M. and Buonocore, F. (2012), "The relationship between work‐family enrichment and nurse turnover", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 27 No. 3, pp. 216-236. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941211205790