The Cost of Nurse Turnover in Thailand: Nursing’s Role and Management Strategies

Abstract

The turnover of Thai nurses has led to a shortage of nursing personnel in the country’s healthcare system, affecting the quality of nursing care, nurses themselves, and healthcare organizations. This article aims to present an assessment of the cost of nurse turnover in Thailand using Jones’s Nursing Turnover Cost Calculation Methodology (NTCCM) model, and to describe nursing management roles and strategies for promoting nurse retention, which are vital for the stability of Thailand’s healthcare system in the future. The NTCCM is a methodology for calculating the costs associated with nurse turnover, including pre-employment costs, hiring costs, orientation and staff development costs, termination costs, and vacancy rates. Applying this model provides empirical data that can be used to develop effective strategies and actions to prevent nurse turnover and reduce losses arising from it. These findings can lead to the formulation of efficient policies for nursing human resource management and enhance the sustainability of the healthcare system.