The mediating effects of job satisfaction on turnover intention for long-term care nurses in Taiwan.

AIM: This study explores the mediating effects of job satisfaction on work stress and turnover intention among long-term care nurses in Taiwan. BACKGROUND: Healthcare institutions face a nursing shortage, and it is important to examine the factors that influence turnover intention among nurses. Excessive levels of work stress may lead to employee dissatisfaction and a significant inverse relationship between work stress and job satisfaction, including subsequent effects on turnover among nurses. However, little is known about the mediating role of job satisfaction on work stress and turnover intention among long-term care nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey and a correlation design were used. Multistage linear regression was used to test the mediation model. RESULTS: This study showed that job satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between work stress and turnover intention. Thirty-eight percent of the variance in turnover intention explained by work stress was accounted for by the mediation pathway. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that higher job satisfaction significantly decreased work stress and turnover intention among long-term care nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: This study provides nursing administrators with a resource to build a supportive environment to increase nurses' job satisfaction and to decrease their stress and turnover.