Abstract:
Nurses form the backbone of health care systems, and their intention
to stay directly affects care quality. Despite many nurses leaving the profession, local
literature has paid little attention to this issue.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the retention intention of nurses working at
government hospitals in the Jaffna District.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 282 nurses
selected through stratified sampling from secondary and tertiary hospitals in Jaffna
District. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Retention
Intention was assessed with a Dichotomous (Yes/No) question, and its association
with participant sociodemographic characteristics was analysed with SPSS version
26. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and t-tests were applied. Ethical approval
was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of the Faculty of Medicine,
University of Jaffna.
Results: The mean age of nurses intending to stay (35.8 ± 8.0 years) was significantly
higher than those intending to leave (29.9 ± 3.4 years), p < 0.001. Among participants,
38.8% (n=109) were female, 53.9%(n=152) were Tamil, 57.4%(n=162) were
married, 69.1%(n=195) worked in tertiary hospitals, and 50.7% (n=143) were from
outside Jaffna District. Overall, 57.1%(n=161) intended to stay, while 42.9%(n=121)
preferred to leave. Main reasons for staying included job satisfaction (45.96%,
n=127) and financial stability (24.8%, n=70), while most intending to leave sought
overseas employment (89.25%, n=252). Factors significantly associated with
retention included ethnicity, nursing grade, previous experience, civil status, having
children, hometown, accommodation, and transport (p < 0.05). Sex was not
significant. A chi-square test showed a significant association between hospital type
and retention (p=0.030), with tertiary hospital nurses more likely to remain.
Conclusion: Nurses in tertiary hospitals were more likely to remain compared to
those in secondary hospitals. Strategies targeting workplace conditions, career
development, and supportive policies are essential to improve nurse retention in
secondary hospitals.
