Intention to leave Nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVEto investigate the percentage of professionals with an intention to leave Nursing during the COVID-10 pandemic, as well as the factors associated with this outcome. METHODa cross-sectional study conducted by applying questionnaires to 890 Nursing professionals from the municipality of Pelotas (RS). The outcome was identified by means of self-reports obtained from the question itself. Relative Risks, as well as their Confidence Intervals (95%), were calculated for the independent variables by means of unadjusted and adjusted Poisson regression. RESULTSthe percentage of professionals who stated their intention to leave Nursing was 24.6% (n=219). There was a positive association between the outcome and higher schooling levels, negative evaluation of institutional support, moderate or intense overload, and skin lesions. A negative association was also observed between the outcome and individuals aged 51 years old or more. CONCLUSIONexcept for skin lesions, aspects such as lack of support and overload, although they may have been intensified during the pandemic, do not represent a new fact in the health services. In this sense, the associations found in the study reflect the need for cross-sectional actions to promote retention of professionals.