Does payment reward moderate the relationship between three-shift work and turnover intention of nurses in South Korea?

Purpose Three-shift work is essential for providing 24-hour nursing care. Driven largely by high turnover rates, increasing payment reward has been proposed as potential motivator for nurses. Based on the job demands-resources model (JD-R model), this paper investigates whether three-shift work increases nurses’ turnover intention, and if payment reward moderates this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a 2022 survey of nurses at a large hospital in South Korea. An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model was used to test the hypotheses. Findings The results indicate that nurses working three shifts report a higher intention to leave their jobs. However, payment reward does not significantly moderate the relationship between three-shift work and turnover intention. This suggests that financial compensation alone is not sufficient for retaining nurses who work three-shift rotations. While three-shift nurses are essential for continuous medical services, they are vulnerable to physical, mental, and social problems caused by their work schedules. Originality/value Although additional financial incentives are often suggested to mitigate these issues, this article concludes that other programs beyond payment reward have to be considered to motivate and retain three-shift nurses.