Review of nursing turnover research, 1977–1996

Turnover represents a major problem for health care services in terms of cost and quality of care given. As a result, turnover has been the subject of a large number of investigations. However, the variety of study populations, research methodologies, and inconsistent definitions and measurements of turnover lead to difficulties when attempting to compare studies. The purpose of this paper is to present: (1) a summary of turnover study methods and procedures, and (2) a summary of socio-demographic, organizational, and social support factors associated with turnover of nursing staff.