Predictors of Actual Turnover Among Part‐Time Homecare Nurses in Japan: A Longitudinal Study

Background: High turnover among homecare nurses leads to nursing shortages and a decline in care quality. In Japan, part-time nurses are crucial to the workforce. However, their turnover predictors have not been extensively studied, despite the fact that they have higher turnover rates than full-time nurses. This study aims to identify factors contributing to actual turnover among part-time homecare nurses in Japan, providing insights for prevention. Methods: This longitudinal study analyzed data from 161 part-time nurses who participated in a baseline survey in 2018 and a 2-year follow-up survey in 2020. The participants were selected from a baseline survey of 265 nurses. Data collected at baseline by homecare nurses included individual, work-related, and workplace characteristics. The outcome was nurses' turnover (left or remained) 2 years later, as reported by nurse managers. The lengths of conversations with managers and colleagues were dichotomized into "short" and "long" using the lower 25th percentile as the cut-off. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of turnover. Results: This study analyzed 161 part-time nurses (mean age, 46.9 years). The turnover of nurses after 2 years was 32 (19.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that participants with short manager/long colleague conversations were less likely to experience turnover (odds ratio: 0.11; 95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.85) than those with short conversations with managers and colleagues. Conclusions: The results suggest that the combination of brief communication with managers and extended interactions with colleagues was associated with lower turnover among part-time homecare nurses.