Factors Related to Care Competence, Workplace Stress, and Intention to Stay among Novice Nurses during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), a public health emergency of international concern, has made healthcare staff preparation and the nurturing of high-quality and adequate nursing professionals critical issues. This study aimed to explore registered nurses’ competence in nursing care and their intention to stay in their current workplace. In this study, participants who had graduated from different nursing education systems were recruited. The results indicated that nurses’ level of commitment to the workplace and clinical stress were positively correlated with the experience of working with patients. Stepwise regression analysis revealed the following significant predictors for intention to stay: clinical stress, frequency of caring for people with infections, and taking a course on infectious nursing. The novice nurses’ competencies in the areas of pandemic disease care and care for infectious adults depended on the experience of nursing care and nursing competence in their professional careers, which may have impact on the nurses’ intention to stay. Therefore, clinical stress, frequency of caring for patients, and taking nursing courses were correlated with novice nurses’ intention to stay in their professional careers.