Impact of nurse turnover on patient care in a private healthcare facility in UAE

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the pattern and impact of nurse turnover in a private healthcare facility in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and also to recommend the management strategies that could be adopted to overcome the problem of nurse turnover. Back ground: Global healthcare organizations are in a precarious situation due to the increasing attrition among healthcare professionals. Nurse turnover is an issue of international concern causing widening of supply - demand gaps in the healthcare industry. Despite the acknowledged importance of managing nurse turnover in hospitals, the pattern, causes and consequences of nurse turnover in UAE are poorly understood. Method and analysis: This is an empirical, descriptive, quantitative survey based research conducted in a private healthcare facility in UAE. Results: Hospital witnessed significant nurse shortage secondary to higher nurse turnover. More than two thirds (69.9%) nurses showed intention to leave the organization. Higher nurse turnover intentions were significantly associated with job satisfaction (p<0.01) and workload (p<0.001). Patient fall and medication errors were not significantly associated with nurse turnover however there was significant reduction in patient satisfaction score for nurse services in the hospital. Conclusion: Higher work load, lack of conducive work environment, lack of managerial support mainly contributed to job dissatisfaction and are the key drivers for nurse turnover. Decline in patient satisfaction implied compromised quality of care. However larger trials are needed to effectively implement administrative strategies to overcome the nurse turnover problem.