# Changes in Workplace Choice Reasons and Individual Influencing Factors for Nurses Across Job Changes: Cross-Sectional Observational Study

## TL;DR

This study explores how Japanese nurses' reasons for choosing workplaces change as they switch jobs and identifies personal factors influencing these choices.

## Contribution

The study identifies how workplace selection reasons evolve with job changes and highlights personal attributes influencing these decisions in Japan.

## Key findings

- Nurses increasingly choose non-hospital facilities like nursing homes and government agencies after multiple job changes.
- Factors like age, sex, and educational background influence workplace selection reasons.
- Facility selection reasons include good location, salary, and convenient working style with job changes.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: The global nursing shortage encompasses issues such as the uneven nurse distribution in low- and middle-income countries, nurse outflow to other countries, and nurse retirement in developed countries, necessitating effective retention strategies. Our objective was to clarify the changes in facility selection reasons among Japanese nurses after changing jobs and the personal attributes influencing facility selection. Methods: In January 2023, an online survey was conducted among licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, midwives, and public health nurses in Japan. The survey items included personal attributes (age and sex), information on ≤five employment facilities, and facility selection reasons. The variations in facility selection reasons by facility number were analyzed using a generalized linear model with a binomial distribution. A logistic regression analysis was conducted with personal attributes and reasons for workplace selection as the independent and dependent variables, respectively. Results: In total, 721 participants were included; 90.8% selected hospitals as their first place of employment. As nurses changed jobs, they increasingly selected non-hospital facilities, including nursing homes, nursery schools, and government agencies. With multiple job changes, the facility selection reasons included “good location for commuting”, “good salary”, and “convenient working style”. Among personal attributes, “age”, “sex”, “age at employment at the facility”, “educational background”, “number of children”, and “living alone” influenced workplace choice reasons. Conclusions: Considering the study results, country-specific demographic trends, medical policy changes, and nursing-shortage-related causes, medical facility managers and policymakers should devise appropriate employment conditions and develop recruitment strategies, especially for situations with severe nursing shortages. Nurses can learn from the career choices of others to manage their own careers.