Journal of Nursing Management, 2015

The influence of areas of worklife fit and work-life interference

on burnout and turnover intentions among new graduate nurses
1 2
SHEILA A. BOAMAH RN, MN and HEATHER LASCHINGER RN, PhD, FAAN

1
Doctoral Student, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON,
Canada, and 2Distinguished University Professor, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, The University of
Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

Correspondence BOAMAH S.A. & LASCHINGER H. (2015) Journal of Nursing Management

Heather Laschinger The influence of areas of worklife fit and work-life interference on burnout
Arthur Labatt Family School of and turnover intentions among new graduate nurses
Nursing
Health Sciences Addition Aim To examine the relationships among the overall person-job match in the six
University of Western Ontario areas of worklife, work-life interference, new nurses’ experiences of burnout and
London intentions to leave their jobs.
ON Background As a large cohort of nurses approaches retirement, it is important to
Canada, N6A 5C1
understand the aspects of the nurses work-life that are related to turnover among
E-mail: hkl@uwo.ca
new graduate nurses to address the nursing workforce shortage.
Methods Secondary analysis of data collected in a cross-sectional survey of 215
registered nurses working in Ontario acute hospitals was conducted using
structural equation modelling.
Results The fit indices suggested a reasonably adequate fit of the data to the
hypothesised model [v2 = 247, d.f. = 122, P = 0.001, v2/d.f. = 2.32, Incremental
Fit Index (IFI) = 0.954, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.953, Root Mean Square
Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.06]. Person-job match in six areas of
worklife had a direct negative effect on burnout (emotional exhaustion and
cynicism), which in turn had a direct positive effect on turnover intentions. Work-life
interference also influenced turnover intentions indirectly through burnout.
Conclusion The study findings demonstrate that new graduate nurses’ turnover
intentions are a recurring problem, which could be reduced by improving nurses’
working conditions. Retention of new graduate nurses could be enhanced by
creating supportive working environments to reduce the susceptibility to
workplace burnout, and ultimately, lower turnover intentions.
Implications for Nursing Management Managers must employ strategies to
enhance workplace conditions that promote a person-job fit and work-life
balance to improve retention of new graduate nurses, and, thereby, lessen the
nursing shortage.
Keywords: areas of worklife, burnout, retention, turnover intentions, work-life
interference

Accepted for publication: 30 April 2015

60 000 nurses by 2020 as a significant proportion of

Introduction
The worldwide shortage in the nursing workforce is
well documented. The Canadian Nurses Association
indicates that Canada may confront a shortage of
nurses near retirement age. In addition, 60% of cur-
rently employed new graduate nurses will leave their
jobs in the first year of employment (Beecroft et al.
2008, Brewer et al. 2011), further affecting the

DOI: 10.1111/jonm.12318
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 1
S. Boamah and H. Laschinger
shortage of nurses available to care for patients
(Hayes et al. 2006). Several studies have reported
work-life issues such as stressful work environments
and inadequate human resource management as major
contributing factors to new nurses’ decisions to leave
their jobs. Poor work environments have been linked
to a number of deleterious and costly individual and
organizational outcomes, such as job dissatisfaction,
burnout, absenteeism, decreased productivity, poor
care quality and increased turnover (Tourangeau et al.
2002, Hayes et al. 2006). These concerns have sus-
tained a continuing interest in assessing the nurse
work environment to ensure that the working condi-
tions of newly graduated nurses are positive to foster
retention of nurses and lessen the workforce shortage.
Research suggests that new graduate nurses experi-
ence a great degree of stress associated with profes-
sional role adjustment and adaptation such as
staffing shortages, unsafe nurse–patient ratios, man-
datory overtime and unsupportive work environments
for which they are unprepared (Bowles & Candela
2005, Griffin 2005, Boychuck-Duchscher 2008, Scott
et al. 2008). As a result, newly graduated nurses
experience a mismatch between their ideals for work
and their actual work – a transition often character-
ised as a period of reality shock (Boychuck-Duch-
scher 2008). This transition period for new nurses is
considered a vulnerable time in which they form
decisions about their intent to commit to their orga-
nization and/or the profession (Beecroft et al. 2006,
Lavoie-Tremblay et al. 2008). Recent studies have
identified that up to 50% of new nurses change jobs
within the first year of initial employment (Winfield
et al. 2009), about 13% consider leaving their jobs
(Kovner et al. 2006) and some leave the profession
altogether (Bowles & Candela 2005, Scott et al.
2008). Numerous factors have been linked to new
nurses’ turnover including heavy workload, high-level
stress and burnout (Hayes et al. 2006, Laschinger
2012). Burnout among nurses has been identified as
a key factor in nurses’ intention to leave their jobs
and/or the nursing profession (Aiken et al. 2002). In
a study with Canadian new graduate nurses, Cho
et al. (2006) found that 66% of new nurses experi-
enced severe burnout. Further, Aiken et al. (2002)
reported that nurses experiencing high levels of burn-
out intend to leave their current positions within a
year in the United States. Recently, Rudman and Gu-
stavsson (2011) found that 50% of Swedish new
graduate nurses encountered severe burnout, which
in turn, increased their intentions to leave their jobs
in the first year of practice.
2 Journal of Nursing Management
Studies indicate that work interference with personal
life also influences nurses’ decision to leave the profes-
sion (Greenhaus et al. 2006) owing to job dissatisfac-
tion and psychological distress. Work-life balance is
commonly thought to promote individuals’ psycholog-
ical well-being and overall sense of satisfaction. In
contrast, work-life imbalance culminates in high levels
of stress, which affect the quality of life, and eventu-
ally reduces individuals’ work effectiveness (Greenhaus
et al. 2003). While many studies have linked turnover
intentions to unsupportive work environments, job
dissatisfaction and burnout, the impact of the work-
life interference has received little attention to date.
Given the critical shortage of nurses in the current
workforce worldwide, research and leadership atten-
tion is warranted. Therefore, the purpose of this study
was to test a model linking new graduate nurses’ over-
all person-job fit in the six areas of worklife and
work-life interference to burnout and subsequently,
job turnover intentions.
Theoretical framework for the study
This study uses a theoretical framework that inte-
grates Maslach and Leiter’s (1997) areas of the
worklife model and Greenhaus et al.’s (2003) theory
of work-life balance. Maslach and Leiter (1997) theor-
ised that a person-job match in six areas of worklife is
central to the employees’ degree of engagement in
work or burnout. The six areas include manageable
workloads, control over work, rewards for contribu-
tion, fair treatment, a sense of community and congru-
ence between personal and organisational values. A
‘manageable workload’ refers to the job-related physi-
cal and emotional demands an employee encounters
under time and resource constraints. ‘Control’ is the
professional capability of employees to make impor-
tant decisions about their work, as well as their ability
to gain access to resources necessary to do their job
effectively. ‘Reward’ is the extent to which an employ-
ee’s expectations are fulfilled by the social reward sys-
tem; and this can be both intrinsic and extrinsic.
‘Community’ is the quality of social interaction at
work, including relationships with colleagues, manag-
ers and subordinates. ‘Fairness’ is the extent to which
the decision-making process at work is perceived by
employees as being impartial and the existence of
managerial support in the organization. Moreover,
finally, ‘values’ represent how an organization’s priori-
ties and ethics are congruent with those of the
employee (Maslach & Leiter 1997). Maslach and Leit-
er (1997) argue that when an employee experiences
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

high levels of these six areas of worklife, it reflects a
high person-job match and, therefore, s/he is less
likely to experience burnout. In contrast, chronic mis-
matches or incongruences in these six areas can result
in burnout.
Studies have consistently supported the relationship
between person-job fit with these six worklife factors
and work-related outcomes in nursing. Cho et al.
(2006) found that a good fit with the six areas of
worklife was related to lower emotional exhaustion,
which in turn, affected organizational commitment. In
contrast, a mismatch in one or more of the areas of
work-life, such as unmanageable workload, has been
most strongly related to new nurse emotional exhaus-
tion (Cho et al. 2006) and feelings of cynicism in
employees (Leiter & Maslach 2004). Laschinger and
Grau (2012) tested a model linking workplace factors
including the six areas of worklife and an intraper-
sonal resource factor (psychological capital) to new
graduate nurses mental and physical health outcomes.
Unmanageable workload and perceived lack of fair-
ness predicted emotional exhaustion among new grad-
uate nurses, which subsequently influenced their
physical and mental health. Greco et al. (2006) found
similar results in a sample of experienced acute care
nurses. Other studies have reported the relationship
between person-job match in the areas of worklife
and turnover intentions through burnout (Leiter &
Maslach 2009). These findings are consistent with the
areas of worklife model, and suggest ways that organi-
zations can address situational variables that affect
employees’ relationships with their work but do not
address personal factors, such as work-life interfer-
ence, that may influence the way new nurses experi-
ence stress at work; and subsequently, their intentions
to remain in their positions.
Work-life interference
Work-life interference is an important factor in deter-
mining organisational commitment, job satisfaction
and turnover (Akintayo 2010). Parasuraman and
Greenhaus (1997) define work-life interference as a
form of inter-role conflict whereby the demands of
one’s work and the demands of personal life are
mutually incompatible, such that meeting demands in
one domain (i.e. work) makes it difficult to meet
demands in the other (i.e. home). A lack of balance
between work and non-work activities is often associ-
ated with lower psychological and physical well-being
(Frone et al. 1997). Frone et al. (1997) demonstrated
that work-related stressors primarily cause work-life
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Journal of Nursing Management
Work interference and turnover intentions
interference. Work-life interference can lead to feelings
of frustration and negative job and health outcomes,
such as job dissatisfaction and psychological distress
(Allen et al. 2000). Studies have found that work
demands such as workload, number of hours worked,
shift work and overtime are strongly associated with
work-life interference among nurses (Burke 2002, Van
der Heijden et al. 2008). Specifically, nurses with a
heavy workload and irregular work schedules are
more likely to experience work-life interference as
compared with their counterparts, and thus are less
satisfied with their job and life (Burke & Greenglass
2001, Simon et al. 2004). In a study of US nurses,
Grzywacz et al. (2006) reported 92% experienced
work interference with the family. High levels of
work-life interference have been associated with job
dissatisfaction (Kovner et al. 2006), absenteeism,
somatic problems and psychological burnout (emo-
tional exhaustion and cynicism) among nurses. Studies
have found that work-life interference influences
nurses’ personal health and ability to provide quality
patient care, which in turn, may lead to job dissatis-
faction and ultimately, affect their decision to remain
in their job (Grzywacz et al. 2006).
Burnout
Burnout is defined as a psychological response to
chronic job stressors, which consists of three compo-
nents: ‘emotional exhaustion’, ‘cynicism’ and ‘ineffi-
cacy’ (Leiter & Maslach 2004). Emotional exhaustion
is considered the main component of burnout, which
results in cynicism toward one’s work and colleagues,
and low efficacy levels (Leiter & Maslach 2004). High
nurse burnout has been linked to negative organisa-
tional outcomes such as increased absenteeism,
decreased patient and job satisfaction (Leiter et al.,
1998) and higher job turnover intentions (Parker &
Kulik 1995). A study of Australian nurses revealed
that younger graduate nurses were most vulnerable to
experiencing burnout, and that management support
was key in lowering emotional exhaustion (Spooner-
Lane & Patton 2007). In burnout research, role con-
flict has consistently been associated with employee
burnout (Leiter & Maslach 2004). Individuals experi-
ence role conflict when there is an enduring mismatch
of the person and the work. When individuals lack
sufficient time and support to accomplish their work,
they are more likely to experience chronic exhaustion.
As a result, such chronic exhaustion may have an
emotional impact, which in turn may erode the dis-
tinction between the employee’s personal life and their
3
S. Boamah and H. Laschinger
work (Leiter & Maslach 2004), and subsequently, the
individual is likely to seek employment elsewhere.
Turnover intention
Turnover research has shown that an employee’s self-
expressed intentions to leave their job are the best pre-
dictor of actual turnover (Beecroft et al. 2008). High
turnover intentions among newly graduated nurses are
a major concern because they can result in high costs
to the organization and impact negatively on an orga-
nization’s capability to meet patient care needs (Hayes
et al. 2006). Several studies have examined the rela-
tionships between characteristics of the work environ-
ment and turnover intentions and actual turnover
among new graduate nurses (Halfer & Graf 2006,
Kovner et al. 2006, Beecroft et al. 2008, Laschinger
2012). In a study with Canadian new graduate nurses,
Lavoie-Tremblay et al. (2008) found the job turnover
rate among nurses to be as high as 62%. Equally
alarming, Scott et al. (2008) found that within 3 years
of practice, 45% of new nurses intend to leave their
current positions, compared with Beecroft et al.
(2008) who reported that 35% of new graduate
nurses intended to leave their position within a year.
Although studies have shown that a small proportion
of new graduate nurses intends to leave the profession,
an increase in turnover intentions poses a huge con-
cern because it is a consistent and immediate precur-
sor to actual employee turnover, which in turn, leads
to a further shortage of nurses.
Hypothesized model
Based on theory and empirical research linking the
six areas of worklife and work-life interference to
burnout, we suggest that individuals who experience
greater person-job fit with Leiter and Maslach’s
(2004) areas of worklife, and lower levels of work-
life interference will experience lower levels of
burnout and subsequently, lower turnover intentions
Areas of
worklife fit
Burnout
Work-life
interference
4 Journal of Nursing Management
(Figure 1). In particular, we hypothesise that new
graduate nurses’ experience of work-life interference
will be positively related to their likelihood of devel-
oping burnout (emotional exhaustion and cynicism)
in their first 2 years of employment, which in turn,
will lead to an increase in their intention to leave
their job.
Methods
Design and sample
A predictive, non-experimental survey design was used
to examine the relationships described in the study
model. We tested the model using data from a larger
study of Canadian registered nurses’ work-life well-
being. New graduate nurses in Ontario (n = 215) in
the second wave of a larger study (n = 1015) consti-
tuted the sample for this study. A modified version of
the Total Design Method (Dillman 2007) was used to
maximise response rates. Nurses received a survey
package mailed to their home that included a letter
explaining the study, a questionnaire, return envelope
and coffee voucher. In 4 weeks after the initial mail-
ing, a reminder letter was sent, followed by a second
questionnaire 4 weeks later, a replacement question-
naire package was sent to all non-responders. Data
for this study were collected from July to October
2013. The study was approved by the research ethics
board at the University of Western Ontario.
Measures
The measures in the study were standardised question-
naires with acceptable psychometric properties and
demonstrated construct validity (Schaufeli et al. 1996,
Kelloway et al. 1999, Leiter & Maslach 2004, Hay-
man 2005). Internal consistency reliabilities (Cron-
bach’s alpha) for all scales are reported in Table 2
and all alpha coefficients were within acceptable
ranges.
Turnover
intentions
Figure 1
Hypothesised model proposing the
direct relationship.
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

The ‘Areas of Worklife Scale’ (AWS) (Leiter & Mas-
lach 2004) was used to measure nurses’ person-job
match in six areas of worklife. The AWS consists of 18-
items measuring the six areas of worklife: manageable
workload (three items), control (three items), reward
(three items), community (three items), fairness (three
items), and values (three items). Items are measured on
a five-point Likert scales with rating from 1 (strongly
disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). A person-job match is
reflected by a score >3.0 (Leiter & Maslach 2004) and
misfit between the worker and the workplace as a low
score of <3.0. The mean of each subscale is summed to
produce a measure of the overall degree of the match in
the areas of worklife with a possible score ranging from
6 and 30. Acceptable Cronbach alpha values have been
reported for the AWS ranging from 0.70 to 0.82 (Leiter
& Maslach 2004).
Work-life interference was measured using the
‘Work Interference with Personal Life (WIPL) Scale’
developed by Fisher-McAuley et al. (2003) and vali-
dated by Hayman (2005). The WIPL consists of
seven-items measuring the balance between individ-
ual’s professional and personal life using a seven-point
Likert scale ranging from 1 = not at all to 7 = all the
time. A high score indicated higher levels of interfer-
ence and low levels of interference are interpreted as
satisfaction with the overall work-life balance. Accept-
able Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93 has been reported for
the WIPL (Hayman 2005).
New graduate burnout was assessed using the emo-
tional exhaustion and cynicism subscales of the ‘Mas-
lach Burnout Inventory-General Survey’ (MBI-GS)
(Schaufeli et al. 1996). Each subscale consists of five
items rated on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from
never (0) to daily (6). A sample of an item includes, ‘I
feel emotionally drained from work’. Burnout is
reflected in higher scores on emotional exhaustion and
cynicism. Previous research using the MBI-GS among
nurses suggests that it is highly reliable with reported
Cronbach’s alpha levels of 0.92 for emotional exhaus-
tion and 0.85 for cynicism (Laschinger & Grau 2012).
Similar studies have reported alpha coefficients for this
scale ranging from 0.88 to 0.89 (Cho et al. 2006,
Greco et al. 2006).
The outcome variable, intention to leave job, was
measured using three items adapted from Kelloway
et al.’s (1999) ‘turnover intention scale’. A sample of
items include, ‘I plan on leaving my job within the next
year’, ‘I have been actively looking for other jobs’, and
‘I do not want to remain in my job’. These items were
rated on a Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree
(1) to agree strongly (5). The scale has acceptable
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Journal of Nursing Management
Work interference and turnover intentions
internal consistency (Cronbach alphas = 0.87 and 0.92)
and constructs validity in samples of new graduate
nurses (Laschinger & Grau 2012).
Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis was conducted using the StataCorp
software (version 13.0) (StataCorp, College Station,
TX, USA). Descriptive and inferential analyses of major
study variables as well as Cronbach alpha reliability of
study instruments were conducted. The hypothesised
model in this study was analysed using path analysis
within structural equation modelling (SEM) procedures
using the AMOS (Arbuckle 1997) program (version
21). Major study variables were modelled as latent vari-
ables with their respective indicators. A sample size of
100–200 is recommended (Hoyle 1995) to have confi-
dence in the goodness-of-fit tests. In addition, a model
should contain 10–20 times as many observations as
variables (Mitchell 1993), thus, our sample size of 215
participants for four variables in our model was consid-
ered to be sufficient to detect significant effects. There
are several criteria to evaluate model fit, including
omnibus fit indices such as the chi-square (v2) and the
chi-square/degrees of freedom ratio (v2/d.f.), and incre-
mental fit indices such as the Incremental Fit Index (IFI)
(Bollen 1989), and the Comparative Fit Index (CFI)
(Bentler & Bonett 1980). Although low chi-square val-
ues are preferred in this analysis, chi-square is sensitive
to sample size, and thus, in a model with a relatively
large sample size, the null hypothesis is expected to be
rejected almost all of the time. Owing to this limitation,
the chi-square was used only to evaluate the relative dif-
ferences in fit among competing models. The generally
agreed upon critical value for the CFI and IFI is 0.90 or
higher (Kline 1998). Also, the Root Mean Square Error
of Approximation (RMSEA) (Browne & Cudeck 1989)
was used as a measure of the lack of fit between the
data and the model, and values between 0.00 and 0.06
indicate a good fitting model (Hu & Bentler 1999). To
estimate the significance of indirect effects in the model,
the bias-corrected bootstrapping method was per-
formed because this procedure has greater statistical
power in small samples (Cheung & Lau 2008).
Results
Participants
The demographic profile for the sample of new gradu-
ates is presented in Table 1. The majority of nurses
were female (90%), averaging 27 years of age and
5
S. Boamah and H. Laschinger

Table 1 current position within 3–10 years whereas others

Descriptive statistics of respondents (n = 215)
(45%) intend to stay active in their position for
Demographics Mean SD <3 years.
Age 27.61 6.95
Years of experience on current unit 0.69 0.56
Years of experience in nursing 1.00 0.42 Descriptive statistics and correlations
The means, standard deviations (SDs) and Cronbach’s
Frequencies Count %
alpha reliabilities, and correlation matrix for the
Gender major study variables are presented in Table 2. Over-
Female 193 89.77
all, new graduate nurses perceived a relatively good fit
Male 22 10.23
Highest education level attained between their expectations for practice and the reality
BSc N 214 99.53 of the six areas of worklife in their work environment
Masters in nursing 1 0.47
Unit specialty
(mean = 3.29, SD = 0.52). Nurses’ perception of a
Med-surg 96 44.65 sense of community had the best fit with their experi-
Critical care 40 18.60 ence (mean = 3.75, SD = 0.84), while manageable
Maternal-child 13 6.05
Mental health 13 6.05 workload and fairness were the farthest from their
Float pool or nursing resource unit 16 7.44 expectations (mean = 2.59, SD = 0.87; mean = 2.95,
Community health 16 7.44
SD = 0.67, respectively). Nurses also perceived a per-
Long-term care 16 7.44
Geriatric/Rehab 5 2.33 son-job fit in rewards, control and value congruence,
Current employment status respectively (mean = 3.51, SD = 0.92; mean = 3.47,
Full-time 134 62.91
Part-time 71 33.33
SD = 0.69; mean = 3.44, SD = 0.81). Manageable
Casual 8 3.76 workloads were most strongly related to emotional
Average hours worked per week exhaustion, and a sense of community and rewards
≤19 10 4.67
20–39 115 53.74 were most strongly related to both burnout compo-
≥40 89 41.59 nents (see Table 2).
Expect to stay active in current position Forty-six per cent of the nurses in this study were in
<3 years 97 45.13
3–10 years 97 45.13 the severe burnout category according to Maslach
>10 years 21 9.74 et al.’s (1996) norms (score >3.0). On average, nurses
reported high levels of emotional exhaustion
1-year nursing experience as a registered nurse. Most (mean = 3.32, SD = 1.58). Scores for cynicism for
held a baccalaureate nursing degree (99%). Approxi- nurses in the current study were relatively low
mately 45% worked in medical–surgical units and (mean = 1.70, SD = 1.66), with only 18% scoring
19% on critical care units. They worked primarily in above the 3.0 cut point. The nurses in our sample
full-time (63%) or part-time (33%) positions and reported moderate levels of work-life interference
worked between 20 and 39 h per week (54%). (mean = 3.54, SD = 1.47) and low intentions
Approximately, 45% of nurses intend to stay in their (mean = 2.47, SD = 1.29) to leave their current jobs.

Table 2
Means, standard deviations and correlations for study variables

Variable M SD a 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

1. Areas of worklife 3.29 0.52 0.70 1

2. Workload (WKLD) 2.59 0.87 0.73 0.47 1
3. Control (CON) 3.47 0.69 0.57 0.71 0.27 1
4. Reward (REW) 3.51 0.92 0.81 0.75 0.20 0.36 1
5. Community (CMTY) 3.75 0.84 0.73 0.75 0.19 0.41 0.62 1
6. Fairness (FAIR) 2.95 0.67 0.40 0.57 0.01* 0.42 0.27 0.31 1
7. Value (VAL) 3.44 0.81 0.81 0.68 0.07* 0.44 0.41 0.38 0.44 1
8. Emotional exhaustion (EXH) 3.32 1.58 0.92 !0.56 !0.53 !0.32 !0.42 !0.42 !0.21 !0.26 1
9. Cynicism (CYN) 1.70 1.66 0.92 !0.63 !0.29 !0.41 !0.49 !0.54 !0.31 !0.43 0.69 1
10. Work-life interference 3.54 1.47 0.92 !0.41 !0.47 !0.26 !0.24 !0.23 !0.20 !0.18 0.57 0.43 1
11. Job turnover 2.47 1.29 0.87 !0.59 !0.20 !0.40 !0.48 !0.46 !0.34 !0.42 0.54 0.64 0.38 1

Correlation is significant at P < 0.05 (two-tailed) *not significant.

ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

6 Journal of Nursing Management
 Work interference and turnover intentions

The final model explained 46% of the variance in

Test of the hypothesized model
The final model revealed a good fit (v2 = 247,
d.f. = 122, P = 0.001, v2/d.f. = 2.32, IFI = 0.95,
CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.06). As illustrated in Fig-
ure 2, the person-job fit in the six areas of worklife
had a significant negative direct effect on workplace
burnout (b = –0.71, P < 0.001), which in turn, had a
significant positive effect on turnover intentions
(b = 0.77, P < 0.001). As hypothesised, work interfer-
ence with life domains had a direct positive effect on
burnout (b = 0.30, P < 0.001). The standardised
direct and indirect effects are presented in Table 3
and direct effects are illustrated in Figure 2. The
results from 5000 bootstrapping samples showed a
significant indirect relation between areas of worklife
fit and turnover intentions through burnout
(b = !0.54; 95% CI: !0.65 to !0.41). Also, burnout
mediated the effect of work-life interference on turn-
over intentions (b = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.12–0.32). The
results provide support for the hypothesized model.
turnover intentions.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent
to which nurses’ overall person-job fit in the six areas
of worklife and work-life interference are related to
their job turnover intentions through experience of
burnout (emotional exhaustion and cynicism) within
the first 2 years of practice. To our knowledge, this is
the first study to link empirically areas of worklife
and new graduates’ experiences of worklife interfer-
ence to burnout, and its subsequent influence on turn-
over intentions. The results of this study highlight the
role of both structural (areas of worklife) and personal
(work-life interference) factors in jointly influencing
new graduate nurses’ intention to stay in their jobs.
Our findings support Maslach and Leiter’s contention
that organisational structures within the workplace
play an important role in shaping and enhancing

Workload
0.32

Control 0.60

0.72
Reward

Areas of
worklife β = 0.71 JOBTO1

Community 0.93
0.74
β = 0.77 0.79
0.48 Burnout Turnover JOBTO2

Fairness
intentions

0.91
0.59 Work-life β = 0.30 JOBTO3
interference
Value
0.78 0.87

Exhaustion Cynicism

0.89 0.89 0.93 0.89 0.86 0.85 0.30

WRKLF1 WRKLF2 WRKLF3 WRKLF4 WRKLF5 WRKLF6 WRKLF7 Model Fit Statistics:
χ2 = 247, d.f. = 122, P = 0.001,
χ2/d.f. = 2.32, IFI = 0.95, CFI = 0.95,
RMSEA = 0.06

Figure 2
Final study model proposing the direct relationship among areas of worklife, work-life interference, burnout and turnover intentions. Note:
Standardised coefficients (P < 0.001). Bootstrap resample = 5000; percentile and bias corrected confidence intervals is on 95 percent.
WRKLF1-WRKLF7 (the seven items of work-life interference); JOBTO1-JOBTO3 (the three items of turnover intentions).

ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Journal of Nursing Management 7
S. Boamah and H. Laschinger
Table 3
Estimated coefficients for path model
Unstandardized
Structural paths coefficient (b)
Direct effects
Areas of worklife ? Burnout !1.805
Work-life interference ? Burnout 0.724
Burnout ? Turnover intentions 0.8.46
Indirect effects
Areas of worklife ? Turnover intentions !1.526
Work-life interference ?Turnover 0.613
intentions
employee work life. The analysis suggests that new
graduate nurses’ overall person-job fit in the six areas
of worklife is an important factor influencing nurses’
intention to stay in their jobs by decreasing the likeli-
hood of burnout. The mediation effect of burnout in
the analysis is pivotal to understanding the impact of
workplace factors on nurse outcomes, such as turn-
over intentions. This finding is similar to Leiter and
Maslach (2009) who linked quality of nurses’ work-
life to turnover intentions, and found that nurses’ per-
son-job fit in all six areas of worklife had an indirect
effect on turnover intentions through burnout. Similar
to findings of other studies (Leiter & Maslach 2004,
Laschinger et al. 2006, Laschinger & Grau 2012), we
found that overall person-job fit in the six areas of
worklife predicted lower burnout. In a recent study,
Laschinger et al. (2015) found that managers’ leader-
ship behaviours had a positive effect on areas of
worklife, which in turn had a positive effect on occu-
pational coping self-efficacy, resulting in lower burn-
out. The results of these studies underscore the need
for nurse leaders to create healthy work environments
that foster a person-job fit, which subsequently lower
the development of burnout among nurses.
Six areas of worklife reflect new nurses’ sense of
person-job fit between their job expectations and their
actual working conditions. Perceived person-job fit in
the six areas of worklife may be a protective factor in
employees’ experiences at work. In this study, per-
ceived sense of community in the work setting and
rewards for their contributions were most strongly
related to lower burnout among new graduate nurses.
These relationships have been consistently demon-
strated in other studies (see Laschinger et al. 2006,
Laschinger & Grau 2012). A sense of community in
the workplace is crucial especially for new nurses as it
fosters a greater sense of trust and cohesiveness among
staff. A cohesive work environment enables staff
members to communicate effectively, share responsi-
bilities in getting the work done and feel like valued
8 Journal of Nursing Management
Standardized Standard Critical P-
coefficient (b) error ratio value
!0.700 0.261 !6.913 <0.001
0.295 0.218 3.318 <0.001
0.773 0.790 10.721 <0.001
!0.541 0.061 – <0.001
0.228 0.052 – <0.001
members of the team (DiMeglio et al. 2005). The
strong relationship between unmanageable workload
and burnout was not surprising and has been fre-
quently shown in previous research. The nursing
shortage and budget constraints culminate in inade-
quate staffing and by extension heavy workload in
many nursing units. Studies have found that when
employees perceive their workloads to be reasonable,
they are less time pressured to accomplish their work
and, therefore, are less likely to experience feelings of
emotional exhaustion and cynicism (Leiter & Maslach
2004). As a result, employees are less likely to leave
their jobs.
In this study, work-life interference was significantly
associated with higher levels of burnout among new
graduate nurses. Our findings corroborates existing lit-
erature, which indicates that a negative impact of
work on other life domains (work-life interference)
plays an important role in the extent to which
employees experience burnout and subsequently, rein-
force their intention to leave their job (Kelloway et al.
1999, Khan et al. 2014). Support for the relationship
between work-life interference and turnover intentions
through burnout is original. In this study, 81% of
new graduates reported varying degrees of work inter-
ference with personal life. This is consistent with
research by Grzywacz et al. (2006), who found that
50% of nurses in the US suffer from chronic work-
family conflict. Studies have linked work-family con-
flict to lower job satisfaction (Kovner et al. 2006) and
burnout among nurses (Burke & Greenglass 2001),
but few studies have examined the mechanisms
involved in this relationship.
Implications for Nursing Management
This study contributes to a nuanced understanding of
the role of leadership in creating a positive work envi-
ronment and work-life balance as concrete strategies
for mitigating employee burnout and ultimately,
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

retaining nurses. The results of this study suggest that
leadership practices that foster organisational support
and workplace conditions that promote person-job fit
are important to new nurse retention. It is crucial for
healthcare managers to encourage initiatives to ensure
that new nurses have manageable workloads to pre-
vent the emergence of burnout. Nurse leaders can
draw on the study findings to promote a workplace
culture that fosters a sense of community and involves
an adequate reward system for recognising nurses’
contributions. Furthermore, work-life interference may
be curtailed if organisations promote family-friendly
work environments, with supervisors encouraging paid
time off as a benefit, flexibility in work schedules and
decreasing demands for mandatory overtime shifts.
The direct effect of areas of worklife on burnout
suggest that when nurse managers create supportive
working conditions, they promote a greater sense of
fit between nurses’ expectations of quality work life
and organizational goals, thereby lowering employees’
experience of burnout. Areas of worklife and work-
life interference had a combined effect on burnout
suggesting the need for managers to address both per-
sonal and structural factors jointly. However, the rela-
tive impact of areas of worklife fit is almost three
times stronger than work-life interference indicating
that greater emphasis on structural factors might
potentially lead to far-reaching implications for staff
retention. Although not as strong, the significance of
work-life interference in this study also makes it
imperative for managers to account for it and to dis-
cuss strategies for new nurses that may be useful in
preventing this imbalance.
Limitations
The study findings must be interpreted with caution
given the limitations associated with the cross-sec-
tional design and its inability to infer causality (Polit
& Beck 2012). A longitudinal design would allow us
to observe changes over time to better understand this
process. There is potential for a response bias as a
result of using self-report surveys (Polit & Beck
2012). Common method variance (CMV) may also be
of concern when the same participant completes all
measures in a single study. However, Spector (2006)
argues that well-validated, multi-item scales decrease
the likelihood of CMV. Two subscales of the areas of
the worklife construct (i.e. control and fairness) had
low Cronbach alpha values (a < 0.70). Several reasons
potentially account for this observation of which two
are pertinent. First, given that alpha depends on the
ª 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Journal of Nursing Management
Work interference and turnover intentions
number of items on the scale, the lower Cronbach
alpha values are likely due to the fewer number of
items on the two subscales. Second, alpha is also
affected by reverse scored items. Some of the items on
the subscales were reverse coded to reduce response
bias. Another limitation is that the sample obtained
from the CNO database excludes some nurses from
the sampling frame who refused to release their con-
tact information for research purposes.
Conclusion
This study supports the theory and research suggesting
that nurses’ overall person-job fit in the six areas of
worklife play an important role in the extent to which
employees experience burnout and subsequently
increased turnover intentions. Our results contribute
to a growing body of empirical evidence showing the
association between work-life interference and turn-
over intentions. In light of current nursing shortage, it
is important for nurse managers to create workplace
conditions for new graduate nurses that foster a
greater sense of congruence between work-life expec-
tations and reality and that do not interfere with the
work-life balance. In doing so, new graduate nurses
are more likely to experience success in their transi-
tion to their role, thereby contributing to the retention
of new nurses in the nursing workforce.
Source of funding
Canadian Institute of Health Research (267421).
Ethical approval
Approval for this study was obtained from the
research ethics board at the University of Western
Ontario.
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