Comparing nurses' intent to leave or stay: differences of practice environment perceptions.

Few existing studies have compared nurses' perceptions of the practice environment in relation to intent to leave or stay in employment and nursing concurrently. This study compared the differences between Taiwanese nurses' intent to leave or stay in employment and nursing, as related to their perceptions of the practice environment. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted at four hospitals in southern Taiwan. Questionnaires including the Chinese Nursing Practice Environment Scale, regarding intention in employment and nursing, were distributed to 535 nurses who provided direct patient care in Taiwan hospitals. Taiwanese nurses with intent to stay perceived the practice environment as better than nurses with intent to leave employment and nursing. The influences of the nursing practice environment on nurses' intent in employment and nursing were supported preliminarily. Targeting interventions to enhance participation in hospital affairs and adequacy of staffing and resources could be beneficial for a stable nursing workforce.