Team climate, intention to leave and turnover among hospital employees: Prospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In hospitals, the costs of employee turnover are substantial and intentions to leave among staff may manifest as lowered performance. We examined whether team climate, as indicated by clear and shared goals, participation, task orientation and support for innovation, predicts intention to leave the job and actual turnover among hospital employees.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Prospective study with baseline and follow-up surveys (2–4 years apart). The participants were 6,441 (785 men, 5,656 women) hospital employees under the age of 55 at the time of follow-up survey. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations was used as an analysis method to include both individual and work unit level predictors in the models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among stayers with no intention to leave at baseline, lower self-reported team climate predicted higher likelihood of having intentions to leave at follow-up (odds ratio per 1 standard deviation decrease in team climate was 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.4–1.8). Lower co-worker assessed team climate at follow-up was also association with such intentions (odds ratio 1.8, 95% confidence interval 1.4–2.4). Among all participants, the likelihood of actually quitting the job was higher for those with poor self-reported team climate at baseline. This association disappeared after adjustment for intention to leave at baseline suggesting that such intentions may explain the greater turnover rate among employees with low team climate.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Improving team climate may reduce intentions to leave and turnover among hospital employees.</p

The mental health care context and patient characteristics: Implications for provider job satisfaction

This research examines job satisfaction among 282 staff providing mental health care to 574 patients with serious mental illness. The mental health staff worked in 18 Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient and outpatient mental health care units at 12 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers located across the contiguous 48 states. The purpose was to identify (1) aspects of the health care context that were associated with provider job satisfaction and (2) administrative and organizational procedures/interventions that might sustain or improve provider job satisfaction. The association of provider job satisfaction with patients' functional status and symptom severity was tested in multilevel statistical models that accounted for provider and unit characteristics. Provider job satisfaction was found to be greater on smaller units and units with higher patient functioning and lower illness severity. Implications of these results are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45774/1/11414_2005_Article_BF02287373.pd