The paradox of nurse turnover: Wealth, yet inadequate compensation and high stress in Dubai's private Healthcare sector

Al-Ali, Farida, Radwan, Ali, Darwish, Tamer K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1815-9338 and Khassawneh, Osama (2025) The paradox of nurse turnover: Wealth, yet inadequate compensation and high stress in Dubai's private Healthcare sector. International Journal of Organizational Analysis. (In Press)

Text 14880 Farida Al-Ali et al. (2025) The paradox of nurse turnover.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0. Download (620kB)

Abstract

Purpose: Nurse turnover is a global concern, with particular emphasis on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, where the issue has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study specifically examines nurse turnover in Dubai's private healthcare sector, which presents significant challenges to both patient care quality and operational stability. The aim is to identify key factors driving turnover and provide actionable insights for healthcare management to enhance nurse retention. Design/Methodology/Approach: A case study approach was adopted, with 23 in-depth interviews conducted with nurses from a private hospital in Dubai. Thematic analysis was employed to identify the core factors contributing to nurse turnover within this specific context. Findings: The study identifies inadequate compensation, limited benefits, and poor work-life balance as primary drivers of nurse turnover in Dubai’s private healthcare sector. Notably, these factors are compounded by the unique socio-economic and institutional context of Dubai, characterised by rapid development, a highly diverse workforce, and distinctive labour policies. Originality/Value: This research contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the unique socio-economic and institutional context of Dubai’s healthcare system. The study extends existing turnover models to reflect Dubai’s specific challenges and provides practical implications for healthcare managers to develop effective retention strategies that address these contextual factors. Keywords: turnover, occupational stress, compensation, work-life balance, hospitals, Dubai

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Employee turnover; occupational stress; Compensation; Work-life balance; Hospitals; Dubai
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business > HF5549 Personnel management. Employment management R Medicine > RT Nursing
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Tamer Darwish
Date Deposited:	18 Mar 2025 14:54
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2025 15:00
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/14880

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