Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
Increased rural hospital closures and nursing burnout may lead to greater morbidity/mortality for rural residents. Current literature fails to capture whether rural hospital closures influence nurses’ intent to leave their current position. In this cross-sectional study, descriptive and correlational statistical analyses were conducted on survey responses from a sample of nurses who lived in a rural county that experienced a hospital closure. 66% of nurses stated that, at one point, they had considered leaving their primary nursing position. Logistic regression model results revealed that nurse-reported age and gender were significant predictors of a nurse’s intention to leave their current position. Opportunities for better pay/benefits, lack of good management/leadership, inadequate staffing, and an overall stressful work environment were factors nurses identified as contributing to intentions to leave. Internal hospital and statewide policy changes may v support the implementation of protective factors that will support nurses and subsequently increase nursing retention.
Disciplines
Family Practice Nursing | Health and Medical Administration | Nursing | Nursing Administration | Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | Other Nursing | Other Public Health | Public Health and Community Nursing
Publication Date
Winter 12-12-2025
Language
English
Faculty Mentor of Honors Project
Jessica Smith
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
King, Caroline A., "Exploring the Association Between Nurse Characteristics and Intent to Leave Their Current Position in Counties with Rural Hospital Closures" (2025). 2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects. 3.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/honors_fall2025/3
Included in
Family Practice Nursing Commons, Health and Medical Administration Commons, Nursing Administration Commons, Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing Commons, Other Nursing Commons, Other Public Health Commons, Public Health and Community Nursing Commons
Comments
I want to first thank my honors capstone mentor, Dr. Jessica Smith. Thank you for guiding me through this project and furthering my determination to better myself through research. Thank you to Ms. Wei You for generously offering her expertise as a statistician to assist me in running statistical analyses for this study. I want to thank Dr. Elizabeth Merwin and Mr. Thomas Shipman for their patient involvement in my accessing of this study’s data. I want to thank my parents, Ms. Courtney Ane Pope-Galloway, and Mr. Clifton Astor King the third, for their years of dedication and love; you two will always be my strongest advocates and greatest inspirations. I want to extend my greatest thanks to my future husband, Mr. Bailey Mawson, for never making me feel like I needed to hold myself back and showed me that I am strong and independent. I love you. Thank you Ms. Christine Roberts for always reminding me to crush the beast and that I am a smart cookie. Finally, I want to thank Mrs. Bobbie Brown. You were my rock through it all and I will forever be grateful for all you have given me. I believe in myself like you do.