Analysis of hospital employee turnover and influencing factors from 2019 to 2024: A cross-sectional study

Background High hospital staff turnover not only undermines patient trust in healthcare institutions but also increases administrative costs, thereby threatening the stability of the healthcare system. However, systematic research on the factors influencing hospital employee turnover in China remains limited. Objective This study aimed to identify key determinants of staff attrition by analyzing individual and work-related characteristics, providing evidence for targeted human resource interventions. Methods This cross-sectional study collected anonymized data from 1186 current and resigned employees at a tertiary hospital in Nantong between 2019 and 2024. Variables included demographic and job-related characteristics. Descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation, and binary logistic regression were employed to examine associations between these factors and turnover risk. Results A total of 1186 employee records were included in the analysis, showing a higher turnover rate among males compared to females. Factors related to employee turnover were identified as: Individual characteristics: Age (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.62–0.78), being married (OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.11–0.82); Work characteristics: Nursing positions (OR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.05–0.29), monthly salary between 8000–10,000 (OR = 8.66, 95% CI: 3.19–23.50), monthly salary >10,000 (OR = 10.75, 95% CI: 4.75–20.17), and being in an authorized strength (OR = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02–0.31). Conclusion High-risk groups included high-earners, young unmarried staff, and those in non- authorized strength. Interventions such as salary structure optimization, targeted welfare policies for unmarried youth is recommended to improve retention. This study provides empirical evidence for regional hospital workforce management.