Social Stressors in Nurses and the Intention to Leave the Profession and to Change Job
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15225/PNN.2025.14.1.2Keywords
bullying, neurological nurses, social stress, workplaceAbstract
Introduction. The increasing demand for medical services in an ageing society and the groving average age of Polish nurses stimulate the search for reasons why experienced health care workers are leaving the profession.
Aim. The aim of this study is to determine the degree of nurses’ propensity to leave the profession and to change jobs in the context of social stressors at work, occupational variables including type of hospital ward and subject variables.
Material and Methods. A questionnaire-based anonymous survey was conducted among N=190 nurses. The study used the Roodt scale (TIS-6), the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ), the Questionnaire of Stressors in Nursing (QSN) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12).
Results. The intention to change their workplace was indicated by 55.8% of nurses, 12.3% of whom were neurological nurses, and the intention to leave the profession by 6.8% of respondents. The intensity of the intention to leave significantly positively correlated with all the social stressors studied. Nurses who considered leaving the profession were characterized by poorer psychological well-being and experienced negative actions from co-workers and supervisors to a greater extent than those who considered changing jobs.
Conclusions. Social stressors are significantly associated with the intention to leave the profession and change jobs. The social stressor that significantly differentiates neurology nurses from other study participants is the relationship with the patient and his family. Taking care of nurses’ psychological well-being and building cooperation in nursing teams are factors that can prevent leaving the profession. (JNNN 2025;14(1):8–15)
References
[1] Naczelna Izba Pielęgniarek i Położnych. Raport Naczelnej Rady Pielęgniarek i Położnych. Zabezpieczenie społeczeństwa polskiego w świadczenia pielęgniarek i położnych. Naczelna Izba Pielęgniarek i Położnych, Warszawa 2015.
[2] OECD. Health at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing, Paris 2023.
[3] World Health Organization. Global strategy on human resources for health: Workforce 2030. WHO, Geneva 2016.
[4] Główny Urząd Statystyczny. Zasoby kadrowe w wybranych zawodach medycznych na podstawie źródeł administracyjnych w 2022 r. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/zdrowie/zdrowie/zasoby-kadrowe-w-wybranych-zawodach-medycznych-na-podstawie-zrodel-administracyjnych-w-2022-r-,28,2.html
[5] Ministerstwo Rodziny, Pracy i Polityki Społecznej. Informacja o sytuacji osób starszych w Polsce za rok 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2025, from https://www.gov.pl/web/rodzina/informacja-o-sytuacji-osob-starszych-w-polsce-rok-2022.
[6] Harpula K., Nowak A., Bartosiewicz A. Wyzwania pielęgniarstwa w Polsce i na świecie. Med Rodz. 2019;4:166–172.
[7] Marć M., Bartosiewicz A., Burzyńska J., Chmiel Z., Januszewicz P. A nursing shortage — a prospect of global and local policies. Int Nurs Rev. 2019;66(1):9–16.
[8] Radkiewicz P., Widerszal-Bazyl M., Pokorski J., Pokorska J., Ogińska H., Pietsch E. Dlaczego pielęgniarki wcześnie odchodzą z zawodu? Bezpieczeństwo Pracy. 2004;7–8:31–34.
[9] Burmeister E.A., Kalisch B.J., Xie B. et al. Determinants of nurse absenteeism and intent to leave: An international study. J Nurs Manag. 2019;27(1):143–153.
[10] Hasselhorn H.M., Tackenberg P., Kuemmerling A. et al. Nurses’ health, age and the wish to leave the profession — findings from the European NEXT-Study. Med Lav. 2006;97(2):207–214.
[11] Bahlman-van Ooijen W., Malfait S., Huisman-de Waal G., Hafsteinsdóttir T.B. Nurses’ motivations to leave the nursing profession: A qualitative meta-aggregation. J Adv Nurs. 2023;79(12):4455–4471.
[12] Duignan M., Drennan J., Mc Carthy V.J.C. Work characteristics, job satisfaction and intention to leave: a cross-sectional survey of advanced nurse practitioners. Contemp Nurse. 2024;60(4):382–394.
[13] Michalak M., Przybył K., Kazimierska-Zając M. Strategies for Coping with Stress among Medical Staff who Work in the Operating Theatre. J Neurol Neurosurg Nurs. 2022;11(2):59–64.
[14] Christianson J., Johnson N., Nelson A., Singh M. Work-Related Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Nurse Intention to Leave the Profession During COVID-19. Nurse Lead. 2023;21(2):244–251.
[15] Al Muharraq E.H., Baker O.G., Alallah S.M. The Prevalence and The Relationship of Workplace Bullying and Nurses Turnover Intentions: A Cross Sectional Study. SAGE Open Nurs. 2022:8:23779608221074655.
[16] Edmonson C., Zelonka C. Our Own Worst Enemies: The Nurse Bullying Epidemic. Nurs Adm Q. 2019;43(3):274–279.
[17] Zdziebło K., Kozłowska E. Mobbing w środowisku pracy pielęgniarek. Probl Pielęg. 2010;18(2):212–219.
[18] Żuchowski I. Zjawisko stosowania mobbingu wśród pielęgniarskiej kadry kierowniczej w opinii pielęgniarek/pielęgniarzy. Zeszyty Naukowe ZPSB FIRMA i RYNEK. 2018;1(53):59–70.
[19] Kunecka D., Kamińska M., Karakiewicz B. Skala zjawiska mobbingu wśród pielęgniarek/pielęgniarzy zatrudnionych w szczecińskich szpitalach. Med Pr. 2008;59(3):223–228.
[20] Kozłowska L., Doboszyńska A. Mobbing w grupie zawodowej pielęgniarek. Probl Pielęg. 2012;20(4):524–528.
[21] Baszczyńska A., Kabalski P., Nowak M., Syper-Jędrzejak M., Szwajcar J. Wypalenie zawodowe biegłych rewidentek i rewidentów w Polsce. Skala, przyczyny, skutki. Ius Publicum, Katowice 2022.
[22] Skuzińska A., Plopa M., Plopa W. Questionnaire of Stressors in Nursing (QSN). Adv Cogn Psychol. 2024;20(4):340–354.
[23] Einarsen S., Raknes B.I. Harassment in the workplace and the victimization of men. Violence Vict. 1997;12(3):247–263.
[24] Warszewska-Makuch M. Polska adaptacja kwestionariusza NAQ do pomiaru mobbingu. Bezp Pr Nauk Prakt. 2007;12:16–19.
[25] Makowska Z., Merecz D. Polska adaptacja Kwestionariuszy Ogólnego Stanu Zdrowia Davida Goldberga: GHQ-12 i GHQ-28. W: Dudek B. (Red.), Ocena zdrowia psychicznego na podstawie badań kwestionariuszami Davida Goldberga. Podręcznik dla użytkowników Kwestionariuszy GHQ-12 i GHQ-28. Instytut Medycyny Pracy, Łódź 2001.
[26] Nielsen M.B., Einarsen S. Outcomes of exposure to workplace bullying: A meta-analytic review. Work & Stress. 2012;26(4):309–332.
[27] Nielsen M.B., Einarsen S. What we know, what we do not know, and what we should and could have known about workplace bullying. An overview of the literature and agenda for future research. Aggress Violent Behav. 2018;42:71–83.
[28] Finne L.B., Knardahl S., Lau B. Workplace bullying and mental distress — a prospective study of Norwegian employees. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2011;37(4):276–287.
[29] Kalbarczyk A. Psychologiczne konsekwencje utraty pracy i bezrobocia. W: Kranas G. (Red.), Organizacja, praca, bezrobocie. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warszawa 1999.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Skuzińska
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 359
Number of citations: 0