Mediating effect of work engagement and career success on work-family support and turnover intention of hemodialysis nurses in China: a cross-section study.

Abstract

Background: Hemodialysis (HD) nurses are facing significant physiological and psychological pressures. These pressures increase their risk of resignation. This study explored the impact of work-family support, work engagement, and career success on the turnover intention of HD nurses.

Methods: The study based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. As a job resource, work-family support can mitigate the negative impact of high job demands. Work-family support also promotes positive outcomes, such as enhancing work engagement and career success. Work engagement further contributes to career success, which in turn reduces turnover intention.This was a cross-sectional study. In July 2024, a total of 397 nurses were recruited from 50 dialysis centers in Liaoning Province, using convenience sampling. They were investigated by Work-Family Support Scale, Work Engagement Scale, Career Success Scale and Intention of Quitting Scale. A total of 308 valid questionnaires were analyzed. The valid response rate was 77.78%. HD nurses' turnover intention score was (12.31 ± 3.65). The turnover intention of nurses in the northeast region of China was relatively optimistic. Work-family support had significant predictive effect on turnover intention (β= -0.664, P < 0.05), and it had negative predictive effect. Moreover, after adding mediator variables, work engagement and career success, work-family support still significantly predicted turnover intention (β = -0.368, P < 0.05); work engagement had significant negative predictive effect on turnover intention (β = -0.067, P < 0.05); career success had significant negative predictive effect on turnover intention (β = -0.288, P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Work-family support can not only directly affect the turnover intention of HD nurses, but also indirectly affect the turnover intention through work engagement and career success. Nursing managers should embrace family-supportive leadership behaviors and adopt a transformational leadership style. By fostering work engagement and advancing career success, they can effectively reduce turnover intention among HD nurses.