Retention in the Navy Nurse Corps

Abstract

The current nationwide nursing shortage has intensified the focus on retention in the Navy Nurse Corps. This thesis examines some of the influences on a Navy nurse's decision to stay in or leave the service. The sample was selected from the 1987 Occupational Task Inventory of the Navy Medical Department, conducted by the Navy Occupational Development Analysis Center. The sample was restricted to nurses in the grades O 1 through O 4, who were stationed at naval hospitals at the time of the survey. The study uses a logistic regression model to predict the probability that a nurse will stay, given independent variables that measure nurse demand, patient contact, workload, and pay. The results suggest a need to examine the workload and incentive structure for Navy nurses.