From Caregiver to Innovator: Investigating the Push and Pull Factors Affecting Nurses' Decisions to Move Away from Bedside

The growing trend of Registered Nurses leaving bedside nursing for non-bedside roles is an important issue in the nursing workforce that may affect healthcare provision, nurse retention, and the sustainability of the nursing profession. While there is substantial literature on nurse turnover and burnout, few qualitative studies examine the actual experiences of Filipino nurses who have left bedside nursing behind. This study aimed to examine the factors pushing or pulling nurses to leave bedside work for non-bedside employment, how nurses make sense of their transitions, the impacts of those transitions on their satisfaction and well-being, and to formulate suggestions to improve nurse retention. The study adopted a qualitative phenomenological approach and used semi-structured, in-depth interviews with twelve purposively sampled registered nurses who had worked in bedside nursing for at least one year prior to their transition to non-bedside employment. Data were analyzed based on Braun and Clarke's six-stage thematic analysis process. The research found that the nurses’ career changes were influenced by push factors at work, including excessive workloads, insufficient staffing, burnout, work-life imbalance, and inadequate organizational support, as well as pull factors such as flexible work, a healthier work environment, professional development, and work-life balance. In the words of the participants, the transition was a matter of reconstructing nurses' professional identities rather than leaving the nursing field altogether. In this way, not only did the participants feel happier about themselves, but they also felt satisfied with their jobs and had greater career options. According to the study’s conclusion, the transition to non-bedside jobs is a way for nurses to maintain their professional commitment and achieve greater career satisfaction and quality of life.