Job satisfaction, job stress, burnout, and intent to leave among accelerated and traditional baccalaureate in science in nursing graduates

The purpose of this comparative-descriptive study was to describe the similarities and differences in accelerated and traditional baccalaureate in nursing graduates in their intent to leave nursing. The framework for the study was Lake's (1998) Model of Nurse Turnover. Variables of job satisfaction, job stress, burnout, clinical autonomy, and individual factors were examined using the Index of Work Satisfaction (IWS), Nursing Stress Scale (NSS), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and demographic variables. The total sample size was 326; the response rate from participants with correct addresses was 84.90%. There were no significant differences between the two groups on the IWS, any of the three subscale MBI scores, Autonomy scores, and intent to leave nursing. There were small but significant differences between the groups on the NSS and satisfaction with being a nurse, with the accelerated graduates reporting more stress and more satisfaction with the decision to become a nurse. Over a third of traditional and almost half of accelerated participants report they intended to leave their current jobs within a year; the difference was not significant. A logistic regression with the dependent variable intent to leave the participant's current job was performed. The two statistically significant predictors were year of graduation and the emotional exhaustion score of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (variance accounted for was in the range of 18% to 24%). The study findings support the model. Accelerated graduates are strikingly similar to traditional graduates in what they do in nursing and in their future plans. Nursing leaders are pressed to increase the supply of baccalaureate nurses but there has been little empirical research to support non-traditional educational preparation; this study provides evidence accelerated graduates are comparable to traditional graduates in their intention to stay in nursing and satisfaction in becoming a nurse and supports this educational model. However, while accelerated programs may help to increase the supply of RNs, unless the nursing work environment improves the impact may be inconsequential.