Professional commitment, resilience and intent to leave the profession among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic - a descriptive study

Abstract

Aim: The three-component model of commitment, resilience and selected nurse characteristics were tested as predictors of nurses' intent to leave the profession. Background: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, news reports suggest that a mass exodus of nursing professionals is occurring. Method: This nonexperimental, descriptive, correlational, predictive study used a cross-sectional approach to collect survey data from a convenience sample of 189 registered nurses (RNs) who were providing direct patient care in adult inpatient units with a high likelihood of admitting patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and met other eligibility requirements. Results: Most (73.5%) plan to remain in the nursing profession and feel highly resilient. Only affective commitment demonstrated a significant relationship to the intention to leave the nursing profession. Conclusions: The study was conducted after the pandemic had been in effect for a prolonged time, and it is likely the nurses with the intent to leave the profession had already left. The findings provide a glimpse of a sample of nurses drawn from a population likely much different from only a few months prior. Implications for Nursing Management: Strategies to retain nurses should include efforts to strengthen professional commitment and build resilience.