Influence of Striving for Work–Life Balance and Sense of Coherence on Intention to Leave Among Nurses: A 6-Month Prospective Survey

The increase in the elderly population in need of healthcare services has led to a serious shortage in the nursing workforce. To retain a large nursing workforce, a strong work-life balance among nurses is needed along with a healthy work environment. This prospective study investigates the influence of work-life balance and sense of coherence on intention to leave among hospital nurses. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 2239 nurses as a baseline. The explanatory variables included striving for work-life balance behavior, a sense of coherence in terms of personal resources, and work-, organizational-, and individual-related factors. Using a cohort of 1368 valid responses, we measured intention to leave among 975 nurses with whom we were able to follow up 6 months after the baseline survey. We then performed multiple regression analysis. The behavior striving for work-life balance was shown to influence nurses' intention to leave. Nurses who exhibited less striving for work-life balance behavior showed higher intentions to leave. The sense of coherence was not identified as a factor affecting intention to leave. Securing a comfortable work-life balance would reduce the nurses' desire to quit the hospital. To reduce nurse turnover, nurse managers should develop support programs that can help nurses achieve a better work-life balance.