Anxiety, job satisfaction, supervisor support and turnover intentions of mid‐career nurses: A structural equation model analysis
Minoo Modaresnezhad, Martha C. Andrews, Jessica Mesmer‐Magnus, Chockalingam Viswesvaran, Satish P. Deshpande
Abstract
AIMS: To explore the effects of four predictors of anxiety (work constraints, work/family conflict, verbal abuse and negative team orientation) among nurses and their subsequent effects on job satisfaction and turnover intentions; and to examine the moderating effect of supervisor support on the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intentions. BACKGROUND: Work-related anxiety is a well-known predictor of employee burnout. Research suggests the prevalence of stress in the workplace varies by occupation, with stress among nurses one of the highest. METHODS: We employed data from the 2015 national survey of licensed registered nurses (n=1,080). We assessed the conceptual model using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). RESULTS: Work constraints, work/family conflict, and negative team orientation lead to anxiety, which diminished job satisfaction and ultimately increased turnover intentions. Supervisor support weakened the job dissatisfaction-turnover relationship. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the common experiences reported by health care professionals lead to anxiety and ultimately turnover intentions and emphasize the role of supervisor support. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The supervisor's role is crucial to the implications of workplace-generated anxiety for nurse job satisfaction and turnover intentions. As such, nurse managers need to develop tangible strategies to help nurses navigate these contextual constraints.