Iran Journal of Nursing

Introduction
Nurses, particularly those working in critical care units, experience significant occupational stress and employ different copying strategies. Studies in hospital settings have indicated a correlation between the work environment and the intention to leave in nurses. This study aimed to examine the relationship between career adaptability and intention to stay in job among nurses working in critical care units in teaching hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Science.

Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022-2023 on 220 nurses working in critical care units of teaching hospitals in Tehran, Iran, with at least 6 months of work experience and at least a bachelor’s degree, who were selected by stratified sampling method after providing informed consent. Three instruments were used in this study including a demographic form, the career adapt-abilities scale (CAAS; with four dimensions of concern, cntrol, curiosity, confidence), and the intention to stay in job questionnaire (with three dimensions of adaptation, sacrifice, communication). Data were collected online based on a self-report method. The questionnaires took 48 hours to complete. After excluding 7 incomplete questionnaires, the data of 213 questionnaires were analyzed in SPSS software, version 16.

Results
It was observed that career adaptability and intention to stay were at a moderate level. The mean total score of career adaptability was 2.98±0.98 and the mean total score of intention to stay was 3.02±1. Among the dimensions of CAAS, the highest average was related to concern (3.05±1.14) and the lowest score was related to curiosity (2.92±1.09). Among the dimensions of intention to stay, the highest score was related to sacrifice (3.06±1.09) and the lowest score was related to adaptability (2.98±1.1). A positive and significant relationship was found between career adaptability and the intention to stay in job (r=0.43, P<0.05). 

Conclusion
There is a positive and significant association between career adaptability and the intention to stay in job among nurses working in critical care units. The career adaptability is a predictor of changes in the intention to stay. Due to the moderate career adaptability of nurses, it is recommended to implement measures to enhance nurses’ career adaptability.

Ethical Considerations

Compliance with ethical guidelines
This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Iran University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.IUMS.REC.1400.1030). The information of the participants was kept confidential and they were free to leave the study at any time.

Funding
The present article was extracted from master’s thesis of Samaneh Shirnasab, approved by Department of Nursing Management, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Science.

Authors' contributions
Conceptualization, review & editing: Samaneh Shirnasab and Marzieh Adel Mehraban; Investigation, writing, and data analysis: Samaneh Shirnasab and Mahboubeh Rasouli.

Conflict of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
It is necessary to express appreciation to the Research Vice Presidency of the Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, as well as to the officials and all the executive staffs of the selected hospitals, especially the nurses.



 

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