Path Analysis: Interrelationships Between Nurse Manager Competencies, Practice Environment Perceptions, and Frontline Nurses' Intent to Stay

OBJECTIVE To examine the correlation between nurse manager (NM) competencies, work environment (Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index [PES-NWI]), and frontline nurses' intent to stay; the direct effect of NM competency on frontline nurses' intent to stay; and the indirect effect of NM competency on frontline nurses' intent to stay, mediated by PES-NWI. BACKGROUND PES-NWI and NMs' competency can impact frontline nurses' intent to stay. METHODS Cross-sectional study with secondary analysis of NM Competency and NDNQI ® (National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators ® ) RN Survey data with path analysis for effects of the model's variables. RESULTS Positive, weak correlations between NM competencies and frontline nurses' practice environments were found; NM competencies and frontline nurses' intent to stay were not correlated. Paths were NM competency/PES-NWI ( β = 0.20, P = 0.001) and PES-NWI/intent to stay ( β = 0.55, P < 0.001); NM competency/intent to stay was not significant. Indirect effect of NM competency on frontline nurses' intent to stay was mediated through PES-NWI ( β = 0.11, P = 0.002; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.17). CONCLUSIONS Investing in NMs' competency can help create supportive work environments and frontline nurses' intent to stay.