Identifying Patterns of Turnover Intention Among Alabama Frontline Nurses in Hospital Settings During the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION: Current research about frontline nurse stress and turnover intention lacks context related to rural communities’ plight in providing organizational resources during the current COVID-19 pandemic. These implications have been particularly underexamined in the United States, whose regional differences may influence how frontline nurses perceive the access and utility of organizational resources. This study investigates if anxiety and stress while working during the current COVID-19 pandemic contribute to frontline nurses’ desire to leave their current position in Alabama hospital settings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was developed and distributed as a Qualtrics survey to frontline nurses using social media and professional contacts. A total of 111 frontline nurse respondents within May 19–June 12, 2020 were included in this study. RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between gender (p= 0.002), marital status (p= 0.000) and seniority (p= 0.049) on turnover intention. A nurse’s perceived anxiety and stress related to their patients’ acuity (r= 0.257, p= 0.004), their personal health as a risk factor (r= 0.507, p= 0.000), their patient assignments (r= 0.239, p= 0.01), their personal protective equipment (r= 0.412, p= 0.000), and their psychological support (r= 0.316, p= 0.001) correspond to higher turnover intention among nurses working with patients infected with COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Perceived resource loss in task autonomy, PPE, and psychosocial support increased turnover intention among frontline nurses in Alabama. Research is needed to understand how intrinsic motivations and social support influence individual nurse staff’s perceptions of resource loss and job demands. Further, more research is necessary to examine the implications of rurality and place in discussing turnover intention and organizational resources across multiple health systems.