The relationship between unemployment anxiety, job satisfaction and migration attitude among the next generation of Turkish nurses: A cross-sectional study

Background: The global nursing shortage is complex and multifaceted. Despite the policy of increasing the number of nurses, concerns about the sustainability of the nursing workforce in Turkey continue. Aim: To evaluate the relationship between unemployment anxiety, job satisfaction, and migration attitudes among Turkish nursing candidates. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1100 nursing candidates between April and June 2022. The data gathered from the “Personal Form, Job Satisfaction, and Brain Drain Attitudes Scale” were analyzed using logistic regression and decision tree analysis. Results: Of the participants, 67.1% were female, and the mean age was 22.6 ± 1.7 years. Being male (OR = 1.317, 95% Cl 0.994–1.743) having a low income (OR = 1.754, 95% Cl 1.334–2.306), feeling insecure about the future (OR = 2.340, 95% Cl 1.312–4.175), expecting a lower wage than desired (OR = 2.015, 95% Cl 1.132–3.586), and employment precariousness (OR = 1.786, 95% Cl 1.355–2.353) increase the possibility of experiencing high unemployment anxiety. On the other hand, family support for living abroad (OR = 0.579, 95% CI 0.408–0.821) and job satisfaction (OR = 0.799, 95% CI 0.692–0.921) decrease unemployment anxiety (p < 0.05). According to the results of the decision tree analysis, the host country's pull factors are the best predictors of the nursing candidates' intention to work abroad as nurses (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The increasing prevalence of unemployment anxiety and migration tendencies among nursing candidates requires the evaluation of policies aimed at increasing the number of nursing graduates in Turkey.