Managerial Support Matters: Predictors of Nurses’ Turnover Intentions During the COVID-19 Pandemic in The Bahamas

Amidst the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, nurses in The Bahamas faced challenges such as exacerbation of severely limited job resources and heightened job demands. Anecdotal evidence suggested that these conditions jeopardized nurses’ well-being and increased their turnover intentions. An incomplete understanding of factors influencing Bahamian nurses’ turnover intentions, during periods of crises limits our ability to formulate appropriate retention strategies. The purpose of this study was to 1) examine the influence of job demands and job resources on nurses’ turnover intentions, and 2) identify key predictors of turnover intentions of nurses employed in a public acute care hospital in The Bahamas during the COVID pandemic. Data were collected from regulated nurses between January and April 2022 using a cross-sectional, descriptive, survey design. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to predict relationships among turnover intentions and job demands and job resources. The study found that managerial support was a statistically significant job resource that predicted nurses’ turnover intentions (B = -.25, p= 0.19). Support from immediate nursing supervisors was a key predictor of nurses’ turnover intentions among Bahamian nurses. It is essential for nurse managers and other stakeholders to be aware of the importance of managerial support for reducing nurse turnover intentions, especially during crises.