Latent Profiles of Nurses’ Organizational Well-being and Turnover Intention: A Person-Centered Multilevel Multicenter Study

Abstract

Introduction. Nurses’ organizational well-being is crucial for workforce stability and quality of care. However, most studies use variable-centered approaches that examine isolated workplace factors, overlooking how organizational conditions combine to shape nurses’ experiences. This study adopts a person-centered approach to identify latent nurse profiles and examine whether they differ in turnover intention.

Methods. A cross-sectional multicentre multilevel secondary analysis was conducted. Nurses’ perceptions of the work environment were measured using a validated questionnaire grounded in the situational theory of Nursing Organizational Well-being. Latent Profile Analysis with clustering correction for wards identified nurse profiles. Differences in turnover intention across profiles were tested using the BCH method.

Results. The study included 2349 nurses from 158 wards across 25 Italian hospitals. Four profiles emerged with distinct configurations of organizational well-being factors. Turnover intention significantly differed across profiles: nurses in the high-strain profile showed the highest intention to leave, whereas more supportive profiles showed lower turnover intention.

Discussion. A person-centered approach highlights how combinations of workplace conditions shape distinct nurse experiences and influence turnover intention, supporting the need for targeted organizational strategies to improve nurse retention.