How Can I Make You Stay? A qualitative study examining which managerial factors are perceived to affect the nurse turnover rates in Region Stockholm

Sammanfattning: One of the biggest challenges for nurse managers in Sweden is employee retention and counteracting staff turnover. High nurse turnover is associated with major patient safety risks, inefficiencies and increased costs. The reduction in turnover is, therefore, critical to offer better health care and would benefit many stakeholders. Hence, through 14 in-depth interviews, this qualitative cross-sectional study aspires to map the managerial factors that are perceived to affect the nurse turnover by registered nurses and nurse managers operating in Region Stockholm. By analysing the empirical results through the lens of a Theoretical Framework which includes Transformational Leadership Theory, the Job Characteristics Model, the Job Embeddedness Theory and the phenomenon of Psychological Safety, the study aims to extend the existing field of research regarding systemic mechanisms behind nurse turnover. The study concludes that the managerial factors that previous studies have associated with nurse retention also are applicable to Region Stockholm and that some of the factors are significant in this context. Furthermore, the study identifies Psychological safety to be essential for nurse retention, an area where current research is limited.