Fear of COVID-19, perceived organisational support, and turnover intentions among nurses: Mediating roles of work-family conflict and subjective well-being

Francis Annor; Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie; Pascal Landindome Navelle; Collins Mwintieme Navelle; Prosper Mbawuni; Kwaku Oppong Asante

Francis Annor Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4332-1504
Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie University of Ghana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8720-2355
Pascal Landindome Navelle School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8284-1214
Collins Mwintieme Navelle Tamale Central Hospital, Psychiatric Department, Ghana Health Service https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1871-2391
Prosper Mbawuni Ghana Health Service, Regional Health Directorate, Health Promotion Unit, Northern Region, Tamale, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6598-6232
Kwaku Oppong Asante Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0206-3326

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, mental health, workforce issues

Abstract

We aimed in this study to examine how work-to-family conflict and subjective well-being mediate the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and perceived organisational support with turnover intentions among nurses in Ghana. We used a self-report anonymous cross-sectional survey design. During the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana (between January and September 2021), a total of 330 registered nurses working in both rural and urban settings recruited through purposive and convenience sampling strategies responded to a web-based structured questionnaire survey. We analysed the data using structural equation modelling. The results showed that perceived organisational support had a significant direct relationship with turnover intention whilst fear of COVID-19 was not directly related to turnover intention. Fear of COVID-19 and perceived organisational support had significant indirect relationships with turnover intention via work-to-family conflict and subjective well-being. The findings underscore the importance of managing pandemic-related fears and fostering organizational support in retaining nurses during health crises.