Healthcare delivery modality and mental health–related intention to leave their job among nurses in Canada

This study examines the association between healthcare delivery modality and Canadian nurses’ intentions to leave their job within two years due to stress, burnout, or mental health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. A secondary analysis was conducted on data from the cross-sectional Survey on Health Care Workers' Experiences During the Pandemic (SHCWEP), conducted by Statistics Canada between September and November 2021. The sample consisted of 3107 nurses, weighted to represent 353,980 Canadian nurses aged 18 and above. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between the mode of healthcare delivery (online, in-person, or blended) and the intention to exit the workforce due to mental health concerns, after adjusting for job, health-related, and sociodemographic factors. A desire to quit was reported by 33.5% of nurses, with 20.5% reporting mental health concerns as their reasoning. Online or blended modalities of care delivery yielded a decreased likelihood of reporting an intention to resign in comparison to in-person care delivery (OR =0.49, 95% CI: 0.45- 0.52; OR =0.81, 95% CI: 0.78- 0.84, respectively). Nurses are a critical asset to the medical field, and their retention impacts patient care directly and public health eventually. This study provides insight into nurses’ needs and can be informative for future implementation strategies that enhance existing training and education protocols and support nurses’ mental well-being.