Self-Reported Fatigue and Fatigue-Attributed Thoughts of Leaving the Current Job Among Internal Medicine Nurses: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Work-related fatigue and thoughts of leaving employment are relevant to nursing workforce sustainability, but their measurement requires clear distinctions between symptoms, intentions and observed outcomes. This exploratory study described fatigue, fatigue-attributed thoughts of leaving the current job and perceived occupational consequences among internal medicine nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in February–March 2025 at a Croatian university hospital. Responses from 145 nurses (57.5% of 252 eligible) were analysed at item level using a study-specific questionnaire, non-parametric tests and logistic regression with sensitivity analyses. Results: Fatigue at least weekly was reported by 129/145 nurses (89.0%; 95% CI 82.8–93.1). Physical and emotional exhaustion several times weekly or daily were reported by 84/145 (57.9%) and 86/145 (59.3%), respectively. Fatigue-attributed thoughts of leaving occurred often or always in 29/145 nurses (20.0%) and at least sometimes in 76/145 (52.4%). Rotating and morning-only nurses showed small or negligible differences in fatigue and exhaustion responses. The adjusted association between rotating work and thoughts of leaving at least sometimes was not statistically significant (OR 2.16, 95% CI 0.997–4.682; p = 0.051); inference varied across exploratory model specifications. Frequent self-attributed errors were reported by 8/145 nurses (5.5%). Conclusions: Fatigue was common, but this survey does not establish its causal effects on retention or safety. The findings support further assessment of recovery opportunities and work demands using validated measures and longitudinal designs.