Paper: Job Stress and Its Relationship with Intention to Quit of New Graduate Nurses during the First Three Months of Work in Taiwan (19th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice)

Monday, 7 July 2008: 3:35 PM

Ming-Chen Yeh, RN , PhD Candidate, School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Instructor, School of nursing, Hungkuang university, Taichung, Taiwan

Shu Yu, PhD, RN , School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

Hsing-Yi Yu, RN , School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Department of Nursing, Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine. Nursing and Management;, Miaoli city, Taiwan

Learning Objective 1: understand contents and intensity of and factors related to job stress of new graduates.

Learning Objective 2: know that 1-2 month is a trigger point to intervene stress-alleviating program to new graduate nurses during the probation.

In the era of nursing shortage, remain new graduates in employment is crucial. Previous studies about job stress of new graduates were often from a qualitative perspective to yield an in-depth description. Quantitative studies were scarce, but also less specific in its relationships to quit. This study aims to investigate job stress perceived by new graduates and its relationships to intention to quit during the first three months of nursing practice. Factors influencing intention to quit were also examined. We conducted a cross-sectional research. New graduates' perceptions of job stress, intention to quit and relating factors during the first three months of work were measured by structured questionnaire in two levels of hospitals in middle Taiwan (N = 146, response rate 76%). Subjects experienced some stressful and 31.5% intended to quit during the first three months of work. Job stress in the dimension of task in critical care was much-to-extremely stressful persistently (>3.50). Hospital level, work independently, night shift, and working period had statistically effect on perceived intensity of job stress. At 1-2 month, the stay group perceived significantly less stress (t = 2.66, p = 0.011), especially in the dimensions of task in critical care (t = 2.84, p = 0.007), role and interpersonal relationships (t = 2.46, p = 0.016) and organizational structure and leadership (t = 2.48, p = 0.021), than the quit group. Job stress, hospital level, clinical practicum and age were significant predictors of intention to quit. In order to remain new graduates in employment, it is important to decrease their job stress especially in critical care and create a supporting work environment to diminish interpersonal conflict and to increase sense of belonging. The period of 1-2 month is a trigger point to intervene stress-alleviating program.

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