Australian nurses are most likely to consider leaving the profession after seven years of employment, new research has revealed.
This is likely driven by a range of factors, including career reflection, shifting personal circumstances, increased caring responsibilities, and the onset of burnout.
Led by Maureen Dillon, Lecturer in Nursing at La Trobe University, the cross-sectional study explored the reasons influencing nurses’ intention to stay in or leave the profession across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote settings, aiming to inform workplace policies, education training and career coaching.
The majority of nurses (85.4%) reported an intention to stay in the profession. Factors such as being a clinician, working in a hospital or community nursing, resilience and opportunities for career advancement positively influenced their intention to remain in the workforce.
Contrary to previous research, the study found that nurses in rural and regional areas reported greater intention to stay in nursing than their metro counterparts. This suggests that despite resource limitations and service delivery challenges, rural nurses may experience stronger commitment to their roles and communities, with other likely contributing factors including greater professional autonomy and broader scope of practice.
The study also identified resilience as a key factor influencing nurses’ intention to remain in the profession. Nurses with higher resilience are more likely to cope effectively with workplace demands, reduce burnout, and maintain long-term commitment to their roles, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
The research also highlighted the importance of supports such as mentorship, reflective practice, resilience training and career coaching to help improve retention.
“Our findings challenge the assumption that rural and regional nurses are more likely to leave the profession,” authors wrote.
“On the contrary, their stronger intention to stay points to the potential of these nurses as a stable, committed workforce segment. To capitalise on this potential, targeted investments are needed to further support rural nurses, including improved access to education, flexible career pathways, and initiatives that promote wellbeing and resilience.
“We found that nurses in rural and regional areas were more likely than metropolitan nurses to stay in their nursing career, suggesting that contextual and personal factors may outweigh structural challenges in these regions. Work setting, role type, and opportunities for development also emerged as important influences.”
Read the full study here
