Abstract:
Introduction: Human resource is the most important and crucial part of all resources for the survival, and development of organizations. The Intention of workers to leave is probably the immediate antecedent of turnover decisions. Workplace turnover affects health organizations and patients as it leads to the loosing of competent and qualified health workers. Therefore coping strategy is needed.
Objective: This study aims at assessing the magnitude and factors leading to the intention to leave among health workers in District Hospitals North Gondar Zone Northwest, Ethiopia.
Methods: an institution based cross-sectional study design among 408 participants supplemented with qualitative in-depth interview was conducted in district hospitals, north Gondar. Data were collected using structured, self-administered questionnaire for quantitative and in-depth interview using guiding semi structure questionnaires for qualitative. Data were entered in to Epi Info version 7.2 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. On bivariate analysis variables with p-value less than 0.2 were fitted to multivariable logistic regression analysis. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval and p- value less than 0.05 were used to identify significant variables with the outcome. Manually thematic analysis were employed for the qualitative data.
Results: Of the total 382 participants were involved in the study with a response rate of 93.6%. The overall proportion of participants who intended to leave their organization were 67.8%. Being age 20-29 (AOR: 3.96, 95% CI: 1.04, 15.07), live out of family (AOR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.23, 3.02), opportunity of other work (AOR 2.04; 95% CI: 1.21, 3.45), unsatisfied performance appraisal, (AOR: 2.97, 95%CI: 1.64, 5.36), and low affective commitment (AOR 3.12; 95% CI: 1.64, 5.92) were the factors significantly associated with the intention to leave.
Conclusion and Recommendations: the magnitude of intention to leave found to be high (67.8%). Factors such as young age, live out of family, opportunity of other work, unsatisfied with performance appraisal, and low affective commitment were significantly associated with intention to leave. Therefore, evidenced based performance evaluation, participate in decision making and ensure regular rotation with special emphasis on family unification is very important
