The Relationships between Professional Self- Concept, Nursing Performance and Retention Intention of Emergency Department Nurses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between professional self-concept, nursing performance and retention intention of emergency department (ER) nurse. Methods: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 200 ER nurses who worked in one of 9 hospitals in 2cities. The instrument for this study was a structured questionnaire on professional self-concept, nursing performance and retention intention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. Results: The mean score for professional self-concept was 2.52 (0.27), for nursing performance was 2.70(0.31), and for retention intention, 4.87 (1.48). There were significant differences on three variables length of ER career, average income, and satisfaction with nursing. There was a significant positive correlation between professional self-concept and nursing performance, and retention intention. Professional self-concept was the most significant predictor variable. Conclusion: The results suggest that the improvement of ER nurses` professional self-concept will improve their nursing performance and retention intention. Therefore, it is necessary to develop strategies which strengthens professional self-concept in order to improve ER nurses` performance and retention intention.