Healthy work environment and nurse retention

BACKGROUND:The quality of the work environment plays a crucial rolein nurses’ job satisfaction and performance. Supportiveleadership, healthy interpersonal relationships andprofessional development opportunities are key factorscontributing to motivation and satisfaction. Neglectingthese aspects may lead to burnout, decreased jobengagement and staff turnover. This research aimsto examine how working conditions, interpersonalrelationships and support affect nurses’ satisfactionand how that satisfaction influences their intention tostay or leave the workplace. The study is based on twohypotheses. The first hypothesis suggests that thereis a significant correlation between work environmentquality and job satisfaction. The second hypothesissuggests that lower job satisfaction is associated witha higher intention to leave the workplace. The findingsaim to support improvements in work conditions andthe overall quality of healthcare services.METHODS:A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with223 nurses from various healthcare institutions acrossCroatia. The study took place from January to March2025. Data were collected using a structured onlinequestionnaire comprising four parts: demographic data,the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing WorkIndex (PES-NWI), a general job satisfaction scale and abinary question on intention to leave the job within ayear. The study received ethical approval from the EthicsCommittee of the University of Applied Health Sciencesin Zagreb. Data were analysed using SPSS software.Descriptive statistics were used, normality was testedwith the Shapiro-Wilk test, and the Mann-Whitney Utest was applied to compare groups. Reliability wasassessed with Cronbach’s alpha and correlations werecalculated using Spearman’s rank correlation.RESULTS:The study found a statistically significant moderatepositive correlation between the quality of the workenvironment and job satisfaction among nurses(Spearman’s rho = 0.62, p < 0.001). This indicates thatbetter work environments are associated with higherlevels of job satisfaction. Participants who expressedan intention to leave their current workplace within thenext year reported significantly lower job satisfactioncompared to those who planned to remain (p < 0.001).These findings suggest that dissatisfaction with the workenvironment strongly influences turnover intentions.Improving work conditions and support may thereforebe critical in retaining healthcare staff.CONCLUSIONS:Work environment quality directly impacts nursesatisfaction and retention. Improving support, workload,and career opportunities, along with mental healthprograms is essential to reduce turnover and improvehealthcare.