The Impact of Changes in Professional Autonomy and Occupational Commitment on Nurses’ Intention to Leave: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study in Japan

This study aimed to investigate changes in nurses’ attitudes toward professional autonomy and occupational commitment over time, and their effect on nurses’ intentions to leave, using a two-wave longitudinal design. Anonymous, self-report questionnaires were distributed to all nurses working at 28 hospitals in western Japan on two separate occasions (n = 1778). Multivariate analysis using a generalized estimation equation was conducted, with the intention to leave at Time 2 as the dependent variable, and the changing secular trends in all subscales of attitudes toward professional autonomy and occupational commitment as the independent variables. Age, sex, education, and intention to leave at Time 1 were control variables. Results showed that increasing changing secular trends in control over work conditions, which is a subscale of attitudes toward professional autonomy, increased intention to leave at Time 2, while increasing changing secular trends in all subscales of occupational commitment decreased intention to leave at Time 2. Nurses with a progressive attitude toward discretion of control over work conditions may have higher intentions to leave. Therefore, increasing control over their work conditions may reduce this intention. Additionally, it is necessary to continually enhance nurses’ occupational commitment by offering professional development programs.