The Baptist Health Nurse Retention Questionnaire: A Methodological Study, Part 1

OBJECTIVEThe purposes of this study were to develop and test the Baptist Health Nurse Retention Questionnaire (BHNRQ) and examine the importance of nurse retention factors. BACKGROUNDMultiple factors, including increasing patient acuity levels, have led to concerns regarding nurse retention. An understanding of current factors related to retention is limited. METHODSTo establish the psychometric properties of the BHNRQ, data were collected from 279 bedside nurses at a 391-bed, Magnet® redesignated community hospital. A principal component analysis was conducted to determine the subscale structure of the BHNRQ. Additional analyses were conducted related to content validity and test-retest reliability. RESULTSThe results of the principal components analysis revealed 3 subscalesnursing practice, management, and staffing. Analyses demonstrate that the BHNRQ is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring nurse retention factors. CONCLUSIONThe BHNRQ was found to be a clinically useful instrument for measuring important factors related to nurse retention.