Job embeddedness increasing intention to stay among community health centers’ honorary nurses

Abstract

Introduction: Honorary (contract-based) nurses in Indonesia’s Community Health Centers often face employment insecurity due to short-term contracts and changing regulations. These conditions can reduce organizational commitment and weaken intentions to remain in the workplace.Objectives: To examine the association between job embeddedness and intention to stay among honorary nurses in Jember Regency, Indonesia, addressing the limited empirical evidence from primary healthcare settings in low- and middle-income contexts.Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted using cluster random sampling. In total, 174 honorary nurses from 28 Community Health Centers completed standardized questionnaires assessing job embeddedness and intention to stay. Associations were tested with Spearman rank-order correlation (two-tailed, α = 0.05).Results: Job embeddedness showed a statistically significant positive association with intention to stay (p < 0.001). Nurses with higher job embeddedness reported stronger intentions to continue working in their current institutions.Conclusions: Job embeddedness is an important factor in nurse retention within Indonesia’s primary healthcare system. Policies and organizational practices that strengthen fit, links, and perceived sacrifice—such as transparent contracting, supportive supervision, and opportunities for professional development—may enhance workforce stability and continuity of care in Community Health Centers.