RESUMEN
The availability of nursing resources is one of the most critical issues facing health care organizations in the country. The study investigated the potential factors that relate to the desire of registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to continue practicing in rural hospitals of North Dakota. All RNs and LPNs who worked in North Dakota hospitals with fewer than 100 beds (490 hospitals) were mailed survey questionnaires. Approximately eight weeks later, responses were received from 291 respondents for an overall return rate of 59 percent. Correlational analyses were used to examine the subjects' responses. A moderate relationship was found among the work-related variables. Overall job satisfaction and performance constraints were the only variables to make significant contributions to the prediction of turnover intention for both RNs and LPNs. Overall job satisfaction accounted for the largest percentage of the variance (R2 = 0.42 and R2 = 0.44) for RNs and LPNs, respectively. Satisfaction with promotion was the only work-related variable to make a significant contribution to the prediction of turnover intention for RNs (R2 = 0.23). Performance constraints, role ambiguity, and shift worked were the only work-related variables contributing to the prediction of turnover for LPNs. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for the management of RNs and LPNs in rural hospitals. Clinical ladders for promotions, the identification of potential performance constraints, and supervisory training are suggested as target areas in which rural hospitals might focus attention for managing turnover in RNs and LPNs.