The Effect of Hospital-Sponsored Financial Aid Incentives on Nursing Staff Turnover Intentions

Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA)

Committee Chair

Lewis Chongwony

Committee Member

Jesse Florang

Committee Member

Sriya Krishnamoorthy

Abstract

This study assessed the relationship between hospital-sponsored financial aid incentive (HSFAI), job satisfaction (JS), leader emotional intelligence (LEI), job tenure (JT), and turnover intention (TI) among hospital nursing staff in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. A quantitative correlational method using a cross-sectional survey was carried out involving 268 full-time nursing staff workers aged 18 years or older who worked in various hospitals across the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Data was collected using Survey Monkey®. 178 responded resulting in a response rate of 66%. A multivariate analysis identified significant predictors of TI among nursing staff. HSFAI emerged as a strong predictor of TI, with an unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.541 (p = 0.001) and a standardized coefficient (ß) of 0.203, indicating a positive relationship with TI. LEI was also a significant predictor, with a B of -0.626 (p < 0.001) and a ß of -0.498, suggesting that higher LEI is associated with lower TI. Job tenure significantly influenced TI, with a B of -0.178 (p = 0.016) and a ß of -0.141, indicating that longer JT is associated with reduced TI. The model accounted for 45.4% of the variance in nursing staff turnover intention (R-squared = 0.454) and was statistically significant (F = 36.008, p < 0.001). JS did not emerge as a significant predictor of turnover intention in the multivariate regression analysis. These results highlight the critical roles of HSFAI, LEI, and JT in shaping nursing staff turnover intention. Hospitals need to focus on these factors to help reduce turnover intentions among nursing staff. Future studies should investigate differences in turnover intentions among nursing staff who receive HSFAI for one year versus those who receive such aid for multiple years, to further understand the potential long-term impacts of these incentives.

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