Relationship between interprofessional teamwork and nurses' intent to leave work: The mediating role of job satisfaction and burnout

BACKGROUND: Reducing nurse turnover is a top priority for nursing management globally. While evidence has demonstrated that working in a favorable environment with greater interprofessional teamwork is essential in increasing nurse retention, few studies have explored the mechanism underlying this relationship.

AIM: To examine the direct and indirect effects of interprofessional teamwork on nurses' intentions to leave their jobs via the intermediary roles of job satisfaction and burnout.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from 2113 nurses working in 21 hospitals in Oman. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire measuring teamwork, job satisfaction, burnout, and intention to leave. Logistic regression was used to investigate the direct effect of teamwork on intent to leave. A sequential mediation model was conducted to examine the mediating role of job satisfaction and burnout.

RESULTS: Interprofessional teamwork was directly associated with nurses' intentions to leave. The influence of teamwork on intention to leave was indirectly mediated by both job satisfaction and job burnout.

CONCLUSION: Findings illustrate the potential benefits of enhancing interprofessional teamwork in reducing nurses' intentions to leave. Interventions intended to foster teamwork could create satisfying workplaces, reduce perceived burnout, and ultimately contribute to organizational strategy for reducing nursing shortages.