TY - JOUR

T1 - Reducing employee turnover in hospitals

T2 - estimating the effects of hypothetical improvements in the psychosocial work environment

AU - Mathisen, Jimmi

AU - Nguyen, Tri-Long

AU - Jensen, Johan Hoy

AU - Rugulies, Reiner

AU - Rod, Naja Hulvej

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Objectives Poor psychosocial work environments in hospitals are associated with higher employee turnover. In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to identify and quantify which aspects of the psychosocial work environment have the greatest impact on one-year employee turnover rates within a hospital setting, both overall and within occupational groups.Methods The study population included 24 385 public hospital employees enrolled in the Danish Well-being in Hospital Employees cohort in 2014. We followed the participants for one year and registered if they permanently left their workplace. Using baseline sociodemographic, workplace, and psychosocial work environment characteristics, we applied the parametric g-formula to simulate hypothetical improvements in the psychosocial work environment and estimated turnover rate differences (RD) per 10 000 employees per year and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).Results Of the 24 385 participants, 2552 (10.5%) left the workplace during the one-year follow-up. Up to 44% of this turnover was potentially preventable through hypothetical improvements in the psychosocial work environment. The specific hypothetical improvements with the largest effects were in satisfaction with work prospects (RD -522 turnovers per 10 000 person-years, 95% CI -536- -508), general job satisfaction (RD -339, 95% CI -353- -325) and bullying (RD -200, 95% CI -214- -186). The potential for preventing turnover was larger for nurses than for physicians and other healthcare employees.Conclusions Improvements in the psychosocial work environment may have great potential for reducing turnover among hospital staff, particularly among nurses.

AB - Objectives Poor psychosocial work environments in hospitals are associated with higher employee turnover. In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to identify and quantify which aspects of the psychosocial work environment have the greatest impact on one-year employee turnover rates within a hospital setting, both overall and within occupational groups.Methods The study population included 24 385 public hospital employees enrolled in the Danish Well-being in Hospital Employees cohort in 2014. We followed the participants for one year and registered if they permanently left their workplace. Using baseline sociodemographic, workplace, and psychosocial work environment characteristics, we applied the parametric g-formula to simulate hypothetical improvements in the psychosocial work environment and estimated turnover rate differences (RD) per 10 000 employees per year and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).Results Of the 24 385 participants, 2552 (10.5%) left the workplace during the one-year follow-up. Up to 44% of this turnover was potentially preventable through hypothetical improvements in the psychosocial work environment. The specific hypothetical improvements with the largest effects were in satisfaction with work prospects (RD -522 turnovers per 10 000 person-years, 95% CI -536- -508), general job satisfaction (RD -339, 95% CI -353- -325) and bullying (RD -200, 95% CI -214- -186). The potential for preventing turnover was larger for nurses than for physicians and other healthcare employees.Conclusions Improvements in the psychosocial work environment may have great potential for reducing turnover among hospital staff, particularly among nurses.

KW - employee exit

KW - health care

KW - health services research

KW - hospital staff

KW - occupational health

KW - parametric g-formula

KW - simulation study

KW - NURSE TURNOVER

KW - JOB-SATISFACTION

KW - CAUSAL INFERENCE

KW - INTERVENTIONS

KW - DISEASE

U2 - 10.5271/sjweh.3969

DO - 10.5271/sjweh.3969

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34052852

VL - 47

SP - 456

EP - 465

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health

SN - 0355-3140

IS - 6

ER -