Factors influencing job satisfaction and turnover intention among nurses in the UAE

Mohammed Al Maqbali; Muna Al Shehhi; Fatima Al Hosani; Ciara Hughes

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0344434

Factors influencing job satisfaction and turnover intention among nurses in the UAE

Mohammed Al Maqbali
, Muna Al Shehhi
, Fatima Al Hosani
, Ciara Hughes

Fatima College of Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Job satisfaction and turnover intention are critical factors influencing nurse retention and healthcare outcomes. This study explores the impact of organizational policies, work environment, patient care quality, and individual factors on job satisfaction and turnover intention among nurses in the UAE. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, with data collected between August and November 2024 from 313 nurses working across various healthcare settings in the UAE. Validated self-reported questionnaires, including the Job Satisfaction Scale and a Turnover Intention Measure, were used. The survey assessed job satisfaction, turnover intention, and their associations with key organizational and individual factors. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression to identify significant relationships and prevalence rates. The findings showed that 73.5% of nurses were satisfied with their jobs, while 20.1% reported an intention to leave. Job satisfaction was positively associated with supportive organizational policies, a positive work environment, higher patient care quality, and individual characteristics. Turnover intention was lower compared to global benchmarks, suggesting the potential impact of favourable workplace practices and systems in the UAE. Enhancing job satisfaction and reducing turnover intention require supportive policies, positive work environments, and access to professional development opportunities

Original language	English
Article number	e0344434
Pages (from-to)	1-14
Number of pages	14
Journal	PLoS ONE
Volume	21
Issue number	3
Early online date	12 Mar 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0344434
Publication status	Published online - 12 Mar 2026

Bibliographical note

Copyright: © 2026 Al Maqbali et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability Statement

The data supporting the findings of this study were collected in the United Arab Emirates and involve human participants. Due to confidentiality requirements and institutional ethical restrictions, the data are not publicly available. These restrictions are imposed by Fatima College of Health Sciences (FCHS). However, de-identified data may be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request and subject to ethical approval. Requests should be submitted to the Ethics Review Committee at Fatima College of Health Sciences (email: [email protected]), which is the responsible institutional body for reviewing and approving data access in accordance with applicable ethical guidelines.

Funding

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Keywords

Job Satisfaction
Turnover Intention
Nurses
Work Environment
Organizational Policies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Middle Aged
Personnel Turnover
Male
United Arab Emirates
Workplace
Adult
Female
Intention
Surveys and Questionnaires
Personnel Turnover/statistics & numerical data
Workplace/psychology
Nurses/psychology
Personnel Turnover - statistics & numerical data
Nurses - psychology
Workplace - psychology

Access to Document

10.1371/journal.pone.0344434

journal.pone.0344434Final published version, 738 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Factors influencing job satisfaction and turnover intention among nurses in the UAE",

abstract = "Job satisfaction and turnover intention are critical factors influencing nurse retention and healthcare outcomes. This study explores the impact of organizational policies, work environment, patient care quality, and individual factors on job satisfaction and turnover intention among nurses in the UAE. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, with data collected between August and November 2024 from 313 nurses working across various healthcare settings in the UAE. Validated self-reported questionnaires, including the Job Satisfaction Scale and a Turnover Intention Measure, were used. The survey assessed job satisfaction, turnover intention, and their associations with key organizational and individual factors. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression to identify significant relationships and prevalence rates. The findings showed that 73.5\% of nurses were satisfied with their jobs, while 20.1\% reported an intention to leave. Job satisfaction was positively associated with supportive organizational policies, a positive work environment, higher patient care quality, and individual characteristics. Turnover intention was lower compared to global benchmarks, suggesting the potential impact of favourable workplace practices and systems in the UAE. Enhancing job satisfaction and reducing turnover intention require supportive policies, positive work environments, and access to professional development opportunities",

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Factors influencing job satisfaction and turnover intention among nurses in the UAE

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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