New graduate separations from New Zealand's nursing workforce in the first 5 years after registration: A retrospective cohort analysis of a national administrative data set 2005-2010

摘要

Aim: To describe workforce separation rates and its relationship with demographic and work characteristics in the 2005 new graduate cohort's first 5 years as practising RNs in NZ. Background: Retaining new graduate RNs is critical to nursing workforce sustainability; one study showed that if an RN is still employed in a hospital setting 5 years after graduation, he/she tends to remain active in the health industry. Design: Retrospective analysis using the Nursing Council of New Zealand's registration data set for years 2005-2010. Methods: All newly registered NZ graduates practising in NZ in 2005 (n = 1236) were tracked for 5 years. Results: Within 5 years of graduation, 26% of the cohort had separated from the NZ nursing workforce, 18% in the first year. The under-25s (n = 517), 42% of the cohort, had the highest loss, 32%, in 5 years. Separations were significantly lower for graduates in their 30s vs. their 20s and for those who gained postgraduate tertiary qualifications post-registration (10%) vs. those who did not (29%). Hospitals were the most frequent employment setting over 5 years, the largest increase being community settings. Five-year retention rates in the four largest practice areas were surgical 26%, medical 16%, mental health 60% and continuing care 10%. After 5 years, 24% of those still practising (n = 920) worked in a different health board region. Conclusions: New graduate RN losses were higher than in previous research, with younger RNs at most risk, threatening future sustainability of the nursing workforce and highlighting the need for evidence-based targeted strategies to retain them.