The purpose of this study is to understand nurses’ decisions to leave or remain in the nursing workforce in order to aid in the identification of efficient and effective strategies for nursing retention.  In the face of shortages of nursing health care services in Canada, we have little understanding of which types of policy initiatives are most likely to meet with success in retaining nurses or in attracting back those who have left.  It is important to understand the views of the nurses who have left nursing as well as those who remain (with attention to generational differences) in order to initiate policy and management initiatives to influence both groups.  Understanding such differences is critical for designing future policy initiatives aimed at improving both recruitment and retention of the workforce. This study looks at perceptions of many nursing stakeholders and because of its size, methodological rigour, and the questions beings asked, provides some comprehensive data for decision-making.  This cross-sectional survey design samples three different groups at one point in time: (a) registered nurses who have left nursing and do not maintain registration; (b) registered nurses who maintain registration but do not work in nursing or are not working; and (c) nurses who remain in practice, with special attention to over-sampling in the under 35 age cohort, providing crucial insight into the factors affecting retention and recruitment of nurses in Canada.

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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)