[The resignations among nurses in the Veneto healthcare institutions. A retrospective study].

Abstract

. The resignations among nurses in the Veneto healthcare institutions. A retrospective study.

Introduction: The phenomenon of large-scale resignations is complex, heterogeneous and cannot be attributed solely to the pandemic crisis, during which many people reconsidered the role of work in their lives. The health system was particularly exposed to the shocks caused by the pandemic.

Aims: To describe the turnover and analyse the resignations of nurses in the NHS hospitals and districts of the Veneto Region.

Methods: The hospitals were categorised into 4 types: Hub and Spoke of level 1 and 2. The positions of nurses with permanent contracts between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2022 were analysed, considering active, nurses on duty for at least one day. The data were extracted from the human resource management database of the Region. Unexpected resignations were considered those occurring before the retirement date (59 years for women and 60 for men). Negative and overall turnover rates were calculated.

Results: The risk of unexpected resignations was increased for nurses not resident in Veneto, of male gender and employed at a Hub hospital.

Conclusions: The flight from the NHS is in addition to the physiological flow of retirements, due to increase in the coming years. It is necessary to: act on the retention capacity and attractiveness of the profession; implement organisational models based on task sharing and shifting; implement digital tools; favour flexibility and mobility to improve the balance between work and personal life; efficiently integrate professionals quali-fied abroad.