Turnover Intention Among Male Nurses in Jiangsu, China: A Structural Equation Modeling Study Based on Social Cognitive Theory

Objective: This study aimed to explore the turnover intention among male nurses and analyze the underlying mechanisms through the lens of the social cognitive theory to provide valuable insights for developing targeted intervention strategies to mitigate the turnover of male nurses.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Questionnaires were distributed to male nurses in Jiangsu Province, China, from September to December 2023, with the assistance of the nursing departments. The first part of the questionnaire collected the sociodemographic information. The second part included three instruments, i.e., the Turnover Intention Scale, the Chinese version of the Decent Work Perception Scale, and the Colleague Solidarity Scale for Nurses.

Results: Of the 6630 male nurses who were solicited by email, 4227 provided a valid response, and the response rate was 63.76%. Their turnover intention score was 14.27 ± 4.34. According to path analysis, both head nurse support, colleague support, and decent work perception directly reduced turnover intention (β = 0.19, 0.47, and −0.65, respectively, p < 0.001). However, head nurse support and colleague support indirectly increased turnover intention via decent work perception (β = −0.27 and −0.09, respectively, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The male nurses in Jiangsu, China, had a high level of turnover intention, and decent work perception and colleague solidarity were key influencing factors. To effectively reduce the turnover intention of male nurses, nursing managers should focus on fostering career development opportunities and cultivating a supportive organizational environment.