Job Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance Effects on Intention to Stay in Public Hospitals

Abstract

High nurse turnover is a major concern because it affects healthcare quality and workforce sustainability. Therefore, identifying factors that increase nurses’ intention to stay is essential. This study examines the effects of job satisfaction and work-life balance on intention to stay, with organizational commitment as a mediator and managerial support as a moderator. The novelty lies in simultaneously examining the mediating role of organizational commitment and the moderating role of managerial support in explaining nurses’ intention to stay in a public hospital. The study involved 262 nurses at Dr. Saiful Anwar Regional General Hospital, selected through proportional random sampling. Data were analyzed using SEM-PLS. The results showed that job satisfaction positively affected intention to stay, whereas work-life balance had no significant effect. Both variables positively affected organizational commitment, which positively affected intention to stay. Organizational commitment mediated both relationships, whereas managerial support did not moderate them. These findings indicate that job satisfaction and organizational commitment are key determinants of nurses’ intention to stay. In contrast, work-life balance had no direct effect, and managerial support did not strengthen either relationship. The study highlights the importance of organizational commitment as a mediating mechanism for improving nurses’ intention to stay.