Developing human capital: what is the impact on nurse turnover?

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Abstract
Aim To investigate the impact that increasing human capital through staff training makes on the voluntary turnover of registered nurses. Background Healthcare organizations in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia are experiencing turbulent nursing labour markets characterized by extreme staff shortages and high levels of turnover. Organizations that invest in the development of their nursing human resources may be able to mitigate high turnover through the creation of conditions that more effectively develop and utilize their existing human capital. Methods A questionnaire was sent to the chief nursing officers of 2208 hospitals and long-term care facilities in every province and territory of Canada yielding a response rate of 32.3%. The analysis featured a three-step hierarchical regression with two sets of control variables. Results After controlling for establishment demographics and local labour market conditions, perceptions of nursing human capital and the level of staff training provided were modestly associated with lower levels of establishment turnover. Conclusions and implications for Nursing Management The results suggest that healthcare organizations that have made greater investments in their nursing human capital are more likely to demonstrate lower levels of turnover of their registered nursing personnel.

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