Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic focused attention on the previously well-documented world-wide shortage of nurses and midwives. The pandemic accentuated this crisis, which resulted in nurses and midwives questioning their roles and their careers. The impact of the pandemic on job satisfaction and the intention of nurses and midwives to stay has not been adequately explored.
Aim
The aim of this scoping review was to identify and map the literature that describes the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influenced nurses’ and midwives’ job satisfaction and intent to stay or leave their employment or profession during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method
This scoping review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. Studies written in English and published between 2019 and December 2023 were included, and consisted of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies. MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsychINFO were the key information sources. The search terms for this review were developed using the PCC mnemonic: Population, Concept and Context. The JBI approach to sources selection, data extraction and presentation of data was used.
Results
A total of 1833 relevant articles were identified. Of these, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. Ten factors were identified as impacting on nurses and midwives job satisfaction and retention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion
The findings reveal key factors, such as patient acuity, staffing dynamics, leadership quality, and resource availability, have significantly shaped the professional experiences of nurses and midwives during the pandemic. These insights can inform targeted policies and interventions to improve job satisfaction and retention, while future research should address gaps, particularly the unique challenges faced by midwives, to strengthen the healthcare workforce for future crises.
The COVID-19 pandemic focused attention on the previously well-documented world-wide shortage of nurses and midwives. The pandemic accentuated this crisis, which resulted in nurses and midwives questioning their roles and their careers. The impact of the pandemic on job satisfaction and the intention of nurses and midwives to stay has not been adequately explored.
Aim
The aim of this scoping review was to identify and map the literature that describes the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influenced nurses’ and midwives’ job satisfaction and intent to stay or leave their employment or profession during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method
This scoping review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. Studies written in English and published between 2019 and December 2023 were included, and consisted of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies. MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsychINFO were the key information sources. The search terms for this review were developed using the PCC mnemonic: Population, Concept and Context. The JBI approach to sources selection, data extraction and presentation of data was used.
Results
A total of 1833 relevant articles were identified. Of these, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. Ten factors were identified as impacting on nurses and midwives job satisfaction and retention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion
The findings reveal key factors, such as patient acuity, staffing dynamics, leadership quality, and resource availability, have significantly shaped the professional experiences of nurses and midwives during the pandemic. These insights can inform targeted policies and interventions to improve job satisfaction and retention, while future research should address gaps, particularly the unique challenges faced by midwives, to strengthen the healthcare workforce for future crises.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-11 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | BMC Nursing |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |