Quality of work-life and turnover intentions among the Ghanaian nursing workforce: A multicentre study

INTRODUCTION: Attrition of the Nursing Workforce from low-and middle-income countries to high-resourced settings is a reality that has escalated in the current Coronavirus pandemic due to varied reasons. With increased job stress resulting from the pandemic, the Quality of Work-Life of the Nursing Workforce is affected, with its effect on poor quality care to the client. This study sought to assess the perception of the Nursing Workforce about the Quality of Work-Life, and the factors that predict turnover intention among nurses in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive design involving multiple centres was used. The participants were made up of 348 Registered Nurses working in primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare in five (5) hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis. Data collection was done using questionnaires adapted from the Work-Related Quality of Life Scale and the Turnover Intention Scale and analyzed using frequencies, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, and Multiple Regression. RESULTS: The Registered Nurses perceived Quality of Work-Life as low; with close to half of them having a turnover intention. All the domains of Quality of Work-Life of the Nursing Workforce significantly correlated with Turnover intentions. Regression analysis showed that the number of years in a healthcare setting, general well-being, job control and satisfaction, and working condition of the Registered Nurse significantly predicted their turnover intentions at the p-value of 0.05. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study have provided an understanding of the Quality of Work-Life, and factors that contribute to increased turnover intentions among the Nursing Workforce amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare systems must enrol in requisite programmes that provide psychological and social support through counselling to promote the Quality of Work-Life of nurses.