Comprehensive assessment of factors contributing to the actual turnover of newly licensed registered nurses working in acute care hospitals: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for nursing care increased, making the retention of nurses even more important. Among staff nurses, it is reported that the turnover rate of newly licensed registered nurses is higher. However, no systematic reviews have focused on the factors that influence newly licensed registered nurses’ turnover. Additionally, because newly licensed registered nurses are a major source of the supply of nurses, it is critical to retain them to meet patient needs. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically synthesize the factors contributing to the actual turnover of newly licensed registered nurses working in acute care hospitals. METHODS: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, DBpia, EBSCO, PubMed, PsycINFO, RISS, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between January 2000 and June 2021. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. RESULTS: Ten articles from 9029 were included in this review. All studies used a longitudinal design. The annual turnover rates of newly licensed registered nurses ranged from 12 to 25%. Health status, including sleep and healthy lifestyles, were significant factors affecting turnover. Most studies focused on work environment factors, and emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, peer support, and intent to leave, were significantly associated with newly licensed registered nurses’ turnover. Small hospitals located in nonmetropolitan areas were at risk of high turnover of newly licensed registered nurses. CONCLUSIONS: Turnover is inevitable in the process of employment, but high turnover can be prevented. Through reviewing ten articles, significant contributing factors for newly licensed registered nurses’ turnover included personal factors of health status; work environment factors of physical exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, occupational injuries, income, intent to stay, job satisfaction, and peer support; and hospital factors of hospital size, location, and unionization. Most existing studies focus on work environment factors, which reflects the significance of fostering healthy work conditions to prevent high turnover. These findings can be used to develop strategies and policies for work environment to reduce high turnover of newly licensed registered nurses, and support high-risk groups, such as small hospitals located in nonmetropolitan areas with high levels of nurses’ turnover.