Neonatal nursing retention study
Job satisfaction and intent to stay in neonatal nursing in England and Wales
Background
Nursing retention is particularly significant in neonatal care where the provision of safe and effective care is already challenged by a lack of qualified specialist neonatal nurses. Recommendations from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine suggest a nurse: patient ratio of between 1:1 and 1:4, depending on the severity of illness of the baby, however 64% of neonatal units regularly struggle to meet these requirements. Workforce data highlights a high proportion of nurses nearing retirement age and a reduced number of nurses entering neonatal nursing. It is therefore important to have a clear understanding of the current mood in the neonatal nursing workforce.
Aim
The purpose of this study is to explore job satisfaction, burnout and intent to stay in neonatal nursing across England and Wales.
Method
Neonatal nurses will be invited to take part in a single 30-60 minute interview about their attitudes and experiences towards their current role, and retention in neonatal nursing. Interviews will be held online, at a time convenient to participants.
Eligibility
All neonatal nurses working in neonatal units in England and Wales will be eligible to participate in an interview.
Current progress
We are currently conducting the online interview study. Please see our participant information sheet below for further information. If you would like to participate, please contact Kathy k.chant@ucl.ac.uk
We completed the neonatal nursing retention survey exploring job satisfaction, burnout and intent to stay in neonatal nursing in September 2024, and would like to thank all of the nurses who took part.
Study documents