Association between nurse turnover and missed nursing care in acute care hospitals in South Korea

Objectives: High nurse turnover during nursing shortages can contribute to missed nursing care. This study investigated the prevalence of missed nursing care and how nurse turnover affects missed nursing care.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted to collect data from a convenience sample of nurses working in general hospitals in South Korea. Six-month turnover rates (0%, 1-14%, 15-22%, and 23-50%) and 24 missed nursing care activities were measured. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between nurse turnover and missed nursing care, after controlling for nurse and work-related characteristics.

Results: The final sample was 264 nurses. The mean six-month turnover rate was 15.49%. Seven activities (turning patient every 2 h, attending interdisciplinary care conference, ambulation, patient bathing/skin care, emotional support, mouth care, full documentation) had a missed care prevalence of 30% or higher. Nurses in units with moderate turnover rates (15 and 22%) reported more missed nursing care than those in units with zero turnover.

Conclusion: Nurse turnover increases missed nursing care, highlighting the adverse effects of nurse turnover on care processes. Consequently, hospitals and governments should implement policy changes and strategies to prevent nurse turnover.